How I Learned to Stop Caring and Help Usher in a Grimm Apocalypse
by Ordon
Summary: Behind every person there's a story; Roman Torchwick; once heir apparent to a major Atlesian company. Now; a self-described fashionable criminal mastermind; here is his story told through his own eyes. [Warning: Will be fairly dark; think Atlesian Gotham]
1. Chapter 1

Journal Entry 242:

It occurs to me that I appear to have an abundance of free time on my hands now that I am in a cell in Atlas custody. It's kind of a refreshing reminder of how far I've come in a strange turn of events. When I started out as a mook in Atlas, I barely would have rated a personal guard to my cell; now apparently an entire Atlesian airfleet is needed to ensure I don't escape, flattering.

It also occurs to me that should all go according to plan that I will retire to some luxurious fortress and live out my days in paradise. It would behoove me to ensure that I have some groundworks for an autobiography; after all, if I'm going to write a best selling novel on my life, I need to remember all of the facts so that I can exaggerate them better.

I suppose I should start from the beginning… this is the part where I know most people would gloss over their idyllic childhood and get to the meat of the story. Most people seem to describe their childhood as though it were out of a fairy tale.

I became a sociopathic; albeit devilishly stylish and handsome crime boss. Most of my early childhood was spent as a slave in an illegal Dust mining operation. I'll skip over most of the unsavory trauma; and I barely remember my parents, other than they got on the bad side of a very powerful Atlesian crime lord and my mother particularly liked to pinch my cheeks.

I, Rowan Laisren, shall instead skip to the good parts; as they were…

* * *

"Alright you miserable urchins!" roared the big surly man in charge of the section, "grub's hot, so get tucked in… you know the drill! You got ten, and if you aren't back to work by then; I'm taking it out on your hide!"

I groaned in relief and pressed the release on the harness to the exosuit I was piloting; I'd heard somewhere that the average exosuit pilot takes about thirty seconds to exit their suit. It's amazing what a motivator hunger can be, because I had gotten it down to about ten; the trick was to get out while the drill had just started to whine down. If you timed it right then you could override the safety mechanism and get that much coveted head start to getting into the food line.

"Alright, c'mon, one at time there, keep it tidy or you'll get none!" he rapped at a few of the children who were out of line with the wooden cane he carried at his side. Out of habit I kept my arms and legs tucked in; old Eight liked to go for elbows and knees, and it didn't take long to learn that it was a competition between you and the children in front and behind you for who could tuck in their limbs the closest to their body.

A few precious minutes later I was at the front of the line; I groaned inwardly as I saw that it was Club who was serving the food today. When he saw me he gave me a toothless grin, "'Ey there Rowan, how's my favorite little scamp today?" he made a show of looking disgusted at the gray slop in the bowl that he had been about to give me. He took the spoon and took a taste, and recoiled a little, "Ugghh… you don't want any of _this_ do you scamp? It's truly disgusting it is." he looked me dead in the eye, and then began slowly pouring the bowl's precious contents onto the ground.

I stood there, trying to keep my face calm as despair, anger, and hunger raged in equal amounts inside me. Finally, he handed the much diminished meal to me, a cruel light flared in his eyes, "there you go scamp; now you don't have to force yourself to eat as much." I took the bowl and sadly looked at the slops at the bottom, Club's face turned ugly, "'Ey, scamp, I did you a favor… what do you say when someone does you a favor?"

"Thank you Club…" I forced past my lips, and bowed my head to the swarthy man.

He leered at me, "See, that's why you're my favorite scamp, always so polite… off with you then, you're holding up the line."

I darted off to the side and desperately began to shovel the meager meal into my mouth; soon the bowl was completely empty, my hunger only slightly abated. I scuffed my arm across my face to wipe away the tears of anger that burned there, and my fists clenched. The warning whistle for the end of lunch blew and I joined the rush to turn in my bowl and spoon and pelted back to my exosuit.

I clambered into the harness and strapped in, kicking the drill release as I did so. Within seconds, the drill was spinning lazily. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Club pushing the grub cart away, and a madness swept over me. My drill began spinning faster and faster, and I took a single step toward him, then I saw a glint of light out of the corner of my eye. My gaze shot up and I saw a tall man gazing down at me from the catwalk; my heart sank as I recognized Spade.

Spade was a living, walking nightmare for the slaves… he wasn't cruel like Club or Eight… but he was the enforcer of the Wildcard Gang that operated these mines. I had seen him take down a mob of slaves armed with mining tools with nothing more than his bare hands. One moment there had been an avalanche of slaves running at him and we had all watched with a glimmer of hope. The next, they were all writhing on the ground, screaming from shattered bones and open wounds that spouted blood. Spade stood untouched in front of them; our hearts had sunk as we watched him casually walk up to each and every survivor and put a single round from his gun right between their eyes; his gaze locking on to each and every one of us as a message. Don't ever try to escape; their word was law.

I took a step back and turned to walk back down the tunnel, sighing as the hunger bit at my core. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

I sighed in relief as I settled down in my favorite sleeping spot; it was an alcove right above the repair shop, which meant that the cooling vents below kept the stone nice and cool at all times. Also, I had always found the rhythmic pounding of the hydraulic hammers to be relaxing; sending me drifting off to sleep.

Tonight though, sleep would not come so easily, and I tossed and turned; my stomach rumbling slightly. I sat up and reached under a stone and pulled out my prized possession, a small tattered book, the last remnants of my old life. I had just opened it and begun reading when there was a commotion over where most of the kids slept; I watched with detached interest from my secluded corner.

Douglas stepped out into my line of sight, shoving at a smaller figure. "C'mon Dihex… show us what you got." I frowned at the unfamiliar term; Douglas was one of the alphas among the children. A good for nothing blowhard that I personally tried to avoid; now it appeared it was shoving around someone who I didn't recognize; which probably meant they were new.

The smaller child crashed to the ground roughly, and the kids closest scampered to their feet and backed away with a murmur; forming a rough half circle. I grunted, losing interest, and was about to turn away when I caught a glimpse of her face and I stared.

She looked like no one I had ever seen before, her hair was half pink and half brown, with streaks of white flowing down the pink side. However, what caught my attention was her eyes; one was brown and the other a pale pink… and she was on the verge of tears, her eyes hurt and full of despair.

I gritted my teeth and snapped my eyes shut; trying to turn away; but that face flashed before my eyes… hurt and confused. I stood up, telling myself that I was an idiot, and walked into the light.

Douglas was the first to notice, "Oh look… if it isn't Rowan…" he turned to me, a smug grin on his face. "I was just showing this squirt how things work around here." he gestured to the girl on the ground. "Besides, Dihexes are bad luck; maybe we should just toss her off into the Pit and be done with it." he nodded his head to the side.

The Pit was a large cliff that was adjacent to the sleeping area; usually it was used for trash and refuse; but occasionally a kid would throw themselves off of it too… it was called, taking the Leap. Some whispered that there was a lake at the bottom and that the kids who had either fallen or jumped off were still alive down there; free from the supervisors. Yeah right, I always thought, maybe there are gumdrops and teddy bears down there too.

I looked him dead the eyes, "Alright c'mon Douglas, leave her alone."

The boy sneered at me, "What, you gonna take me on over a squirt?"

I sighed, "No, I'm going to take you on because you are reprehensible reprobate and have a singularly miniscule intellect." I stood casually with my arms folded as his brain worked overtime. Finally, he gave up and with a roar, ran at me with his hands outstretched.

Okay, so I lied before… I also remember that my father was a powerful martial artist and insisted that his young son learn some of the arts as well. I swayed to the side, grabbed one of his outstretched hands, and pulled, in the same movement, I kicked his legs out from under him. He went crashing to the ground, and before he could get up, I grabbed him by the hair and hauled, dragging him behind me before thrusting his face over the edge of the Pit.

"Say 'uncle'," I said, holding his face over the void.

"Uncle! Uncle!" he screeched.

"Are we going to talk about throwing people into the Pit?" I asked sweetly.

"No! I swear I won't!"

"Okay that's good, now are we going to apologize to the nice girl?"

"Alright, alright! I'm sorry! Just let go of me!" he sobbed.

I yanked him back and kicked him away, and he lay there, crying in the dirt. The rest of the children watched in complete silence. I ignored them, and walked up to the strange girl, who was staring at me with wide eyes, and offered her my hand.

She took hold of it, and I helped her up. I didn't know it yet, but that night I had made life long friend; that girl's name, was Neo.

* * *

My life in the mines changed quite radically after meeting Neo; mostly for the better. However, I had attempted to stay isolated from the other children for a reason; now, by beating up one of the alphas of the group; I had essentially jumped into the shark tank.

It didn't take long for the other dogs to come sniffing, and I was forced to send each and every one of them with their tails between their legs. It happened the same way every time; after all, if geniuses think alike, then the same can be said for neanderthals. They would bully Neo, knowing it was the way to get a rise out of me; and I would step in a let them know what it meant to get said rise out of me.

These attempts slowed and eventually ceased; which I was perfectly fine with, as it left me more time to talk with Neo. I learned her name a few days after the incident with Douglas, Neopolitan; though she said I could just call her Neo; she didn't know her last name, she had been abandoned at an orphanage when she was just a baby. When I had looked shocked, she had given a resigned shrug and uttered that word, Dihex.

I learned from the whispers that I overheard from the other children and even some of the adults when they thought no one was listening. That those that were born with eyes of different colors were viewed as bad luck, and were thought to bring curses down on those that displeased them. Which explained why my mother had abstained from teaching me about them in my education; she had been a woman of logic; scoffing at superstitions as trappings of an unreasoning intellect. The end result was that adults were wary around her; and often passed her over when they were in the mood for their petty cruelties.

As for the positives… well… I have to be honest; it changes your whole life when you have someone you're responsible for… that you have to look out for. Hunger still bit at me, the aches in my muscles still pained me, and the casual cruelties of the supervisors still bit into my mind. However, they had lost the ability to hurt my soul; pardon the poetic phrasing. It all simply didn't carry as much weight as it did anymore.

Then one night I collapsed from a particularly difficult day and retrieved my book, settling down to read. I heard a small gasp and looked up, Neo was staring at me, her mismatched eyes wide. "You…" she pointed at the book, "you can… _read_?" I had nodded. She had sat back, biting her lip, finally she looked up at me, "Can you…" she swallowed nervously, "teach me?"

So it was from that night on I would teach Neo from what I remembered from my mother's schooling. The alcove was our classroom, a worn stick was our chalk, and the dirt at our feet was the chalkboard. It wasn't ideal, but Neo was seemed to enjoy our lessons, her tongue sticking out of her mouth slightly as she copied my crude letters. She was a natural at penmanship; my mother had always despaired of me; tossing my work at my feet, "'Just how do you expect people to read this… _scrawl_?'" she would cry; "'another fifty times… _neatly_ this time.'"

Despite everything, despite the hunger and the general the indignity of being a slave… those nights with Neo are some of the fondest memories in my entire life.

* * *

Several weeks after Neo arrived, there was a definite shift in the atmosphere of the mines. The adults became tense; whispering to each other in hushed tones; and angrily snapping at the slightest infraction.

I wasn't quite sure what to make of it for a while… then I overheard Club talking with the supervisor of our section.

"So… whatcha reckon? We on the safe side of it?" the supervisor asked nervously, his beady eyes darting back and forth.

Club snorted and leaned forward, "Look here, I've been in more scrapes than I can count… the Wolf Pack? The Hell Riders? You heard of any of 'em?"

The supervisor scratched his stubbly chin, "Err… not really to be honest."

Club nodded, a conspiratorial grin on his face; "Exactly… that's because they all decided to bet against the Wild Cards and Ace… not to mention King. This Red Snow gang? They'll be beat down and they'll either die or fall in line; just like the rest… now get back to it."

I quickly ducked my head down and got back to work. Ace was the leader of the Wild Cards gang; the group of thugs that ran the mine. I had caught glimpses of the man as he inspected the mines. I had never seen King, from what I had gathered from my time there; King was a high ranking crime boss in the city. He technically owned the mine, but kept his hands clean of the operation itself, and so he contracted the Wild Cards gang to kidnap children to work the mines; as well as run the day to day operations.

It sounded like someone was encroaching on King's turf; and despite Club reassuring the supervisor; an undercurrent of fear was still spreading throughout the mine. I told Neo about what I had overheard that night; she looked up at me, "What will happen to us if this other gang takes over?" she asked.

I frowned then shrugged, "If that happens, then I doubt much will change on our end. We'll just have new people in charge; there might be some different rules, but for the most part they'll just want their cut from the mine."

She tucked her knees under her chin and thought about that for a moment, "I hope that happens," she said finally, "then Club won't be around anymore." she leaned in close and whispered, "he smells funny."

I smiled a little at that, but inwardly I sighed, things could be better with different people, but they could also be a lot worse. If this 'Red Snow' gang showed up, then I was depressedly certain it would be the latter.

If you're reading this journal, you should be fully aware that I'm very rarely wrong. It kind of comes with the territory of being a handsome genius. Well buckle up, because in this fatalistic presumption, I was going to be absolutely, emphatically incorrect.


	2. Chapter 2

Journal Entry 246:

A list of things that really irritate me….

People who think bowler hats are out of fashion

Meddling kids

Incompetent minions

The guard who keeps humming that catchy jingle under his breath outside my cell. [Note to self: Dire retribution required once free]

Stains on my suit

…

Idealistic people who want to be heroes.

* * *

Journal Entry 247

I guess, that I should go ahead and continue my autobiography. It's certainly been an experience going back and remembering everything. While the official story around the Red Snow gang and its leader has no doubt reached everyone's ears. It feels good to write an apology of sorts for the group. Was its leader, Cola Malaika, guilty of everything of everything that he was accused of? Yes, but it always makes me angry to know that those sheep that he saved think that that's all there was to him. I guess you can say he was my idol, and certainly was more of a father to me than my own ever was. The memories that I have of that time are bittersweet; but they made me what I am today. A handsome criminal mastermind that requires an entire Atlesian fleet to guard him. Everyone has their own metric for success in life; don't knock it.

The day that I meet the man that would change my life started out like any other day…

* * *

I wiped the sweat off of my brow with my sleeve as I dug deeper around the green Dust vein I had found that morning. Extracting Dust was a touchy business at times, some types being more… reactive; than others. The green variant was fairly safe; and could be safely pulled out as chunks and then packed up to be processed. I was just happy that I hadn't come across a fire vein; those had to be reported basically so that you could be quarantined as you were extracting it.

Then you would be given the oldest, most beat up mining suit in case there were any incidents. You would then carefully take a blade and cut essentially cut squares into the vein; cover it with a special inert foam, then use a special suit arm attachment that would cut behind the squares from the bottom up so that rather than plummeting to the ground, it would land on a tray that was part of the attachment. If you hadn't blown up by then, you would cover the remaining side with more foam and then pass off the result to processing. As I was Club's 'favorite scamp', I would often be forced to take over for such projects. I had done around five such extractions to date, but it never got any easier.

As far as I was aware, it was a record; at least among the living slaves. One time I had been working alongside a new worker who hadn't recognized the stuff and so just tried to drill it out normally. I had barely enough time to get out of the way when scorching flames erupted outward, covering him and setting him ablaze.

The screams had been horrible as he had flailed before falling onto his back; where he rolled back and forth wildly. The supervisor had drenched him in foam to put him out; silencing him; before spraying on the solvent. The foam had sloughed away to reveal a blackened husk that had twitched spastically; mouth still quivering in a silent scream. The man had shook his head sadly and pulled out his gun; and I had turned back to work; desperately trying to block out the sound of the gunshot that had shortly followed from my mind.

I had just succeeded from wresting the first head-sized green chunk from the cave wall when I heard a strange popping noise. I frowned and turned toward the noise; the other children had heard it to; and risking the supervisor's anger, they too turned, a nervous whisper running up and down the line.

I saw the supervisor turn and he yelled something at a figure I couldn't see when he abruptly fell over. I waited for him to stand back up; but he simply twitched a few times, then went still. My heart leapt into my throat, and my legs moved almost without my consent; bringing me over to his fallen form.

The man was dead, his eyes vacant and staring up at the ceiling; a red stain was spreading from a hole in his chest. I clapped my hand to my mouth and I retched, nearly vomiting. I looked up to see several figures in the distance running to a group of barrels, they ducked in and out of cover, and I heard more of the strange popping noises that with a chill I realized was gunfire.

My mind finally woke up from its shocked stupor and I quickly ducked behind the wall, I controlled my breathing, slowly letting out a breath as I considered my options. A wild idea had occurred to me after my talk with Neo; but only now did I dare consider it.

In the case of another gang attacking the mine, there was always another option; in the confusion; it was unlikely that they would have time to care about two escaping slaves. It would mean risking our lives in the attempt, as that could mean that they would simply shoot us; particularly if we were caught; but it was a chance.

It was our only chance.

I made up my mind and began running toward the processing site where Neo worked; the mining suit whirring as I pumped the mechanical legs as fast as they would go. I arrived to find Neo and several other girls huddled in the corner. Neo looked at me, her eyes wide with fear; as I ran over to her.

"C'mon Neo, we're getting out of here." I extended a metal arm down to her, she looked at it then back at me.

"But… Mrs. Heart told us to stay here." she said softly.

I shook my head, "This is our chance, the place is under attack… c'mon, we can get out of here." she continued to look at me with fearful eyes, "Trust me." I pleaded.

Slowly she reached out and grabbed onto the arm; she clambered up it and into the cockpit of the suit. It was a tight fit, but she squeezed next to me and nodded. I looked to the side, an idea forming; my eyes fell upon a canister of the foam. I grabbed one of the crude tables and worked quickly, making slabs out of their tops. I grabbed the foam canister and sprayed it onto the slabs, coating it so that as it hardened it attached to the bars of the open cockpit, forming makeshift shields. The other slaves silently watching me work with sullen eyes. One of them finally spoke, "You know you're going to get killed out there." she said.

I didn't look up from my work, "Sure… we might not make it." I said, dimly aware that Neo was hanging on to my every word. "But I would prefer to die now; and have a chance at living; than die everyday as a slave down here."

The girl muttered something and silently huddled up closer to the other slaves.

When I was satisfied the foam had hardened sufficiently, I turned to my head to Neo, "Ready?" I asked.

She smiled fiercely at me, a fire burned in her mismatched eyes, "Let's go." she said.

With that, we began our run to freedom.

* * *

It was chaos as we ran along the tunnels; not really knowing the way out, I followed the massive freight lines that transported the Dust back to the surface. Everywhere was evidence of fighting; bodies lay strewn about everywhere, their vacant eyes following me accusingly.

I heard gunfire up ahead and I slowed; carefully creeping around; using the natural formations in the mine as cover. I slowly peeked my head around and saw some of the enforcers for the mines; their guns at their sides. I frowned as I saw some of the older slaves lined up against the rock wall, chained to each other. One of the thugs was talking on a radio, he made several affirmative noises, then turned to the others.

"Aight, orders in from Ace; put'em down." There was a collective groan of fear from the slaves and some of them tried to lunge forward; but were brought short by the metal links that connected them to their stationary companions; causing them to stumble. I didn't fully comprehend what was happening until the thugs raised their weapons and methodically began working down the line with them. Shot after shot rang out along with screams as the guards carried out their orders.

I heard Neo gasp behind me, and I had to steel myself in order to think. I realized that this was the perfect opportunity, while the sound from the firing line would cover up any that I made. I carefully began creeping forward, picking my way through the rocks and boulders.

Suddenly a man with a gun stepped out and ordered us to halt. Throwing caution to the wind I pulled the suit's arms in so that they formed a protective barrier around the cockpit. I gritted my teeth and set the mech into a run; navigating through the small slit between the arms and the makeshift shields I had made. He opened fire, but the bullets pinged uselessly against the metal suit. I swallowed nervously, my mouth dry with fear; Neo threw her head back, laughing wildly; daring anyone to stop us. I heard shouting behind us and the gunfire increased behind us; but we were moving too fast for them to pursue and soon we had lost them. I didn't slow; desperate to escape this nightmare.

* * *

Slowly a light became visible in the distance; becoming bright enough that I had to squint my eyes. The air began to grow cool and the air became fresh; a sharp contrast to the stale air I had breathed the last few years. My heart leapt into my chest and my eyes fixated on that light… we were so close!

Then our luck ran out.

I barely had time to register that there was a figure in front of us when suddenly the suit was flying through the air, I screamed as it crashed into the wall. It slid down the rock face, various lights were blinking and a constant beep told me that the suit was a goner. Neo groaned beside me as she sat up, and I slowly looked up, fear eating at my heart.

In front of us, calmly striding forward with a large gun in one hand; was Spade.

He stopped, and frowned at the mining suit and its makeshift protection; then his eyes grew cold when he saw us in the wreckage.

"So… we've got us some escapees do we?" he continued walking forward and with unthinking strength he grabbed the cockpit's frame and pulled. The suit groaned, and then with a shriek of tearing metal; the iron bars and our makeshift shields were pulled away and he tossed it to the side. Leaving us to tumble out of the suit.

He shook his head and pointed the gun at us, "Not a bad try. Sorry kids, but I've got a job to do."

I desperately tried to interpose myself between the girl struggling weakly behind me and the deadly piece glinting steel. Tears in my eyes as I stared the cold killer directly in the eyes.

The man in front of me snorted, "Damn shame," he said, then pulled the trigger and a sound like thunder echoed around the cave entrance; a sound which I knew would be followed closely by death.

Obviously it didn't quite work out like that.

There was similar and nearly simultaneous bark of thunder; and after a few seconds I opened my eyes, wondering why I wasn't dead yet.

Spade was frowning down at me, his gun barrel still smoking. He slowly turned and my eyes followed his gaze to see a slender man standing behind him. He too held a smoking gun, and he confidently began striding forward.

Spade stepped away from us, "Well, well… the infamous Bayard; it's a pleasure to meet you. Where are the rest of your Red Snow dogs?"

Bayard smiled and shrugged, "I would say they're just about finished with the rest of your gang; which leaves just you as the final loose end." his voice was prim and proper; like Atlesian nobility. His eyes twinkled in silent mockery as he stopped and raised an eyebrow at Neo and I.

"My… I knew that you were savages… but seriously man… children?" he shook his head and his eyes grew cold. "I was going to make it quick; but I think you deserve a lesson first."

Spade laughed, "I can dance circles around you old man; I'll leave your broken body with just enough life to watch as I put down these two escapees. Maybe I'll even let you say goodbye to your friends before I end your miserable life."

Bayard lowered his gun, "Then try me; you can take the first shot; but I warn you… it will be your last." he stood calmly; his eyes fixed on Spade. I stared at the man; the confidence radiating from him was total; it was an almost tangible thing that made him terrifying, despite his slender size.

Spade hesitated for just a second, then he raised his gun and pulled the trigger so fast that I could barely follow it; there was a single crack of thunder followed almost immediately by two more. The mine was silent; then Spade's knees crumpled and he fell to the floor; ominously still. The gray-haired man stood there silently, his arm outstretched; his gun smoking in his hand. He walked up to the enforcer's corpse and kicked it; grunting at the lack of response. He holstered his gun and walked up to us; his palms out in a gesture of peace.

"C'mon out children… you're safe now." he said.

Carefully I stood up and helped Neo to her feet as well. We both stood there, staring at the man. A silhouetted figure stepped into the cave entrance; Bayard turned and bowed.

"Report." the figure said, his deep voice echoing throughout the mine.

Bayard straightened and pointed at the dead body at his feet, "Just cleaning up; this one's Spade."

The figure grunted, "Good work Bayard, that will severely hobble the Wild Cards for some time yet." I saw the figure's head shift to us, "Who are these two?" he asked.

Bayard jerked his head back at us, "Two kids that this piece of scum was about to kill. I think that they're workers here."

"Hmm… so the reports on the child trafficking were true…" the figure murmured; "What's your names?" he asked us politely.

I licked my lips nervously, "My name is Rowan… Rowan Laisren; this is Neopolitan; she's my friend." I pointed back at Neo; who did a rough curtsey, her eyes wide.

"Lasiren? Did you say your name was Laisren? What was your mother's name?" he asked.

"Ciara Laisren." I replied nervously.

The figure stepped forward into the light.

To describe the leader of the Red Snow in full is an exercise in futility. He was a large man, easily towering over everyone in the room; yet his very presence made him seem as large as a mountain; such that it felt like he filled the room by himself. I pride myself on being fashionable, but there's always someone who wears it better; he wore a black bowler hat; with a deep blue suit that complimented his dark skin. In his hand he carried an elegant metallic cane; and on his belt was a large revolver that was as large as my head. His every movement was powerful and graceful; like a lion's; his brown eyes could be warm as a fire in winter; or as cold as the deadliest blizzard; with the weight of an avalanche behind their gaze.

Smiling at me with white teeth; he walked up to me and offered me a giant hand; I took it; surprised at the gentleness of his grip.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Rowan, my name is Cola Malaika; I think we have much to talk about."


	3. Chapter 3

Journal Entry 251

List of things to do once I'm free:

1\. Give Neo a hug

2\. Give victorious speech; extra points for looking absolutely amazing while doing it (Shouldn't be too hard, it's me after all)

3\. Vent my considerable displeasure upon Gilford… ( See Entry 246)

4\. Use the airship to blow everything to kingdom come

5\. Enjoy a well deserved latte and maybe killing some meddlesome brats

6\. Profit?

Journal 252

It might appear odd to some for a villainous mastermind to destroy society as we know it. After all, it's kind of pointless to accumulate a staggering amount of wealth and have no way to spend it. However; my mentor always told me to repay my debts to friends two-fold and those to my enemies a hundred-fold. I have a list of debts that only a Grimm invasion and a rampage in an Atlesian warship can pay. How did the world accrue these debts from me do you ask?

Well; let's get back to the story...

* * *

Leaving the mines behind; Cola ushered us along a small stone path that twisted and turned around the mountain. The bright sunlight was nearly blinding to me after so long underground; so much so that Bayard had to walk beside me to ensure I did not stumble over the edge.

Eventually we rounded the bend and I could vaguely see a large object in the distance; scratch that… massive object. My mouth dropped open as I recognized it was an airship. There were figures scurrying around it; preparing it for launch. Cola waved a hand grandly at the sight; "Here it is, the _AAT North Star_ , my own personal airship. He beckoned for us to follow him; Neo and I stumbled after him; heedless of our footing as we simply stared at the ship.

A tall man with a large, bushy mustache walked up to Cola; his bald head gleaming in the sun as he bowed slightly. Cola nodded sharply at the man; who spoke, "Everything's ready to go sir; we can depart whenever you're ready."

"Very good Rufus." Cola replied; "Can you get me Kyoko please?"

Rufus looked over his shoulder, "Kyoko!" the bald man yelled, "the boss wants you!"

A few moments later a woman with dark hair came running over to us; she bowed to Cola.

"What is it sir?" she asked.

He beckoned to us, "This is Rowan and Neo; you will see that they are bathed and given fresh clothes. After that; you are to bring them to the lounge so that I may speak with them. Prepare quarters for them in the guest suites."

Kyoko looked at us, then bowed to him again, "Yes sir."

Cola turned to us, "You are to follow Kyoko; do as she tells you." he said quietly.

The ring of authority was so strong in his voice; and so ingrained was I to instant obedience; that I practically snapped to attention and looked to Kyoko intently.

She frowned at me, but waved for us to follow her to the ramp that led into the airship. When we arrived on board; Neo and I both took a moment to simply stare in awe.

The walls and ceiling were made out of fine wood; with fine rugs covering the floor. A crystal chandelier dominated the entryway; casting tiny motes of light about the room.

Kyoko smiled as she watched our reaction before calling out to us, "You'll get plenty of time to gawk later; let's get you guys all spruced up for the boss."

We followed her through a maze of hallways; eventually arriving a set of door; she opened two of them and gestured to them; "Each of you take a room; there will be a bath with a curtain; go ahead and bathe yourself and I'll leave some fresh clothes for you to change into once you're done."

I nervously stepped inside and she gently closed the door behind me; there was a depression with a steel faucet and a curtain that could be drawn across it; just as she said there would be. I stripped out of the clothes that I had worn the past few years and got into the bath; I turned the faucet on and groaned in bliss as warm water cascaded into the bath.

There are no words to describe sloughing off years of dirt and grime… it felt almost as if I was cleaning off the indignity of my slavehood with that bath. When I finally emerged my old clothes were gone; in their place was a set of simple white clothes. I put them on and was surprised to find that they were only a little loose; I tucked them to tighten the fit and walked back out into the hall to find Kyoko and Neo already there; the woman was using a brush to straighten Neo's hair.

I let out an involuntary gasp at the change in Neo's appearance. In the mines; she had looked more like a mouse than a human; but I could see that, like myself, bathing had affected more than simply a physical change. She was sitting up straighter; no longer curling up into a ball as though afraid that she might be attacked; her eyes were bright as she chattered with Kyoko. Who smiled kindly; saying little; but rather just listening.

Kyoko looked up to see me and she said something to Neo; who fell silent and stepped to the side. The woman beckoned to me, "C'mon, you're next."

"Pardon?" I asked, frowning.

"C'mon over here and turn around you look a fright."

I stiffened as Neo giggled slightly; I obeyed, and stood with my back to the woman. I flinched as the brush went through tangles that were years old; she was silent as she did this; but it was a kind silence; and with every stroke I was reminded of my mother. How she used to fuss over my appearance at every opportunity; and brush my hair incessantly; "I will not have my son going about like a vagabond." she used to say.

Finally Kyoko put up the brush; "Alright; children, follow me." she walked us once more through the maze of hallways that was the airship; and we came to a door at the end of a hall. Written above on a golden plaque was, 'Lounge'. She opened the door and ushered us inside.

* * *

Cola was sitting at a table; reading several papers; he glanced up and put them down as we entered.

"Very good; Kyoko, you may leave us." the woman bowed and walked out of the room; closing the door gently behind her.

Cola leaned back and waved at the long couch across the table from him, "Please… take a seat."

I straightened my back and took a seat; Neo followed closely behind me; and we simply sat and stared at the man who had saved us. Cola pulled out a scroll and tapped some buttons before nodding sharply; he pushed the screen across to us.

I frowned as I examined it; and my breath caught in my throat as I saw my mother's picture. Her piercing green eyes level and her long red hair pulled back into a ponytail; even from the picture, she radiated an aura of command and poise. I remember accompanying her on a tour of the airship manufactory in Atlas; her sharp gaze missing nothing as she swept up and down the catwalks, like a queen overseeing her castle. My father described her beauty as that of a blade; sharp and it commanded a room in which no one else was similarly armed; he said a lot of things like that.

I looked beside her picture to see my own face. My eyes were cast upward in awe and my mouth was slightly open. I frowned, then realized they must have taken it when we had first seen the airship; underneath it were the words, 'Confirmed Match'. I looked up, not understanding.

"I ask that you forgive me; but I had to be sure of your identity. So I had Kyoko take a blood sample on you and run it to see if it matched your mother's." he gestured at the screen; "As you can see; it was a match, so now I may proceed as planned." My eyes widened a little in surprise. The woman must have done it in the midst of yanking some of the more stubborn knots that had been in my hair; because I hadn't noticed anything.

He folded his hands; and stared levelly at me, "To summarize; you are the rightful heir to Laisren Aerial Manufactory. In your absence the board of directors assumed full control after your mother's death." he inclined his head slightly to me, "As you can imagine, they are unlikely to give that up; and should you approach them in your current state. They will probably appoint a regent and shove you off to the side; they may even take more… drastic… measures to ensure their control."

I swallowed nervously, "In my current state?"

He gestured at me, "Your education incomplete, lack of combat skills, and lack of allies. It is thus my intention to complete your education; and… should you desire it… act as an ally in the days to come." he clapped his hands and rubbed his palms vigorously. "However, that can wait until we arrive in Atlas; until then, we have time to kill."

He pulled out a small box and opened it to reveal a deck of cards; "Have you ever played Go Fish?" he asked.

So for a few hours, Neo and I played Go Fish with a man who had enough power to smash a slave mining operation in a single day and who had the means to afford an airship for his own personal use. Little did I know at the time; that was nothing compared to the power and wealth that he actually wielded.

We took a break when a servant emerged with three platters of food; Neo and I tore into the them with reckless abandon. It was almost as if we were trying to make up for the hunger we had felt during the time in the mines. When we had finished we had both stared sullenly at the empty plate. Cola had chuckled and response, turning to the servant; who nodded sharply and walked briskly out of the room. He returned a few minutes later with two more full plates; which he laid in front of each of us.

"You might want to slow down a little," Cola murmured as our eyes widened, "You'll get sick if you keep that up." We obeyed a tad sheepishly, taking our time to savor a full meal after the scraps we had been given during our time in servitude.

Halfway through this second course; Neo's head began drooping; she recovered a few times, but finally she fell asleep beside me. Cola smiled, and he gently pulled the plate out from in front of her and took off his suit; which he bundled up and put beneath her head as a pillow. She murmured slightly at the disturbance but soon fell back to sleep. He pulled out the deck of cards once more and began shuffling them.

"Well, it looks like it's just you and me Rowan." his eyes glittered, "So let's change the game, shall we? This one's a particular favorite of mine." he confessed as he cut the deck.

"This game is called Liar's Net…" he said as he began dealing our hands. "It is very similar to Go Fish… except for one thing." he waved his hands expansively, "You can lie. It's very simple, when your opponent asks for a card, you can lie and claim that you don't have it. Your opponent may then choose to either believe you; or call you on it. If they call it correctly; then they receive the card and that pile is worth two points instead of one."

I frowned, "So why wouldn't you just keep calling their bluff?" I asked.

His eyes twinkled, "Because, if you call it, and you're wrong; then they receive your card; and that is worth a point."

I considered the rules, then grinned, "All right, you're on." I picked up my hand, "Do you have any eights?" I asked.

He quickly looked at his hand, plucked out a card; and then handed it to me. I placed the two cards in front of me and drew a card.

"Do you have any kings?" Cola asked me.

I looked over my cards and saw that I did have the card, but remembering the new rules, I shook my head.

Cola leaned across the tabled and smiled at me, "I think you just might be lying to me young Rowan." he said.

I looked up and reluctantly handed him the card.

The rest of the game went depressingly similar to that exchange; I never got a lie past him; and I never caught him in a lie; even when I tried just calling him on it randomly.

At the end of the game; I was soundly beaten, and Cola began packing up the deck, "Ah well, a good try Rowan. You will get better with practice."

"Let's play again!" I protested.

Cola lifted a finger to his lips and looked meaningfully at Neo; who was sleeping soundly.

"I believe that you should go ahead and get some sleep." he whispered, "You've had quite the day."

I yawned, and suddenly the weight of my exhaustion hit me; and I could barely keep my eyes open. I only vaguely felt it as Cola pick Neo and myself up and carry us to a bedroom; where he laid us both down in our own respective beds.

"Sweet dreams young Rowan." Cola said softly as he laid me down.

I slowly yawned in response and soon I had drifted off to an exhausted slumber.

* * *

Journal Entry 255

I have to say I was initially skeptical to the idea of keeping a journal. Neo walked up to me after the robbery gone wrong in Vale. I was in the middle of… running through the various operational errors that had been committed on the mission with Perry. I was being quite thorough; after all, the biggest crime boss in Vale being stopped by a single student Huntress is… undignified. She walked up to me and put the journal in my hands and a pen; at the front of the page she wrote a message; stating that I would find it therapeutic; I begrudgingly agreed to try it.

Has it been working?

Well, at the very least it's stopped me from trying to break out and kill Gilford.

That tangent aside; I suppose I should continue…

* * *

My eyes snapped open and I quickly looked around the room. I stood up and padded silently over to Neo and shook her awake.

She yawned widely and looked at me through bleary eyes, "Wha- what is it?"

"Get up, we need to get moving." I quickly looked around the room; spotting a dresser; i walked over and began rifling through it.

Neo stared at me, "What are you doing?" she asked.

I didn't answer, but began pocketing some of the more valuable looking pieces of jewelry that I could find.

"Rowan?" she asked, her voice quavering.

I turned to her, and my heart tore to see her face full of fear and uncertainty. I walked up to her and sat beside her on the bed. A part of me reviled myself for destroying the peace that she had known for less than a day after the horror of the mines. However, I had decided late last night that I could forgive myself for that; because if my suspicions were correct and I did nothing; I knew I would never forgive myself.

"Neo," I said softly; "Doesn't any of this strike you as odd?" she looked at me, eyes wide with confusion. I sighed and considered my next words, "Just because this guy knows who I am; doesn't mean that we're safe."

"But he said…" she began, I waved my hand sharply.

"He claimed that he was going to 'be my ally' but in that very same conversation, he went over every single reason why he shouldn't. For all we know, he could be speaking with the board members back in Atlas and negotiating with them for my corpse."

Neo's eyes began to fill with tears, I looked away, "After all, why would he risk going up against them; it doesn't make sense; it's high risk, and there's no guarantee that it'll pay off in the long run. Better to just get the easy reward than to protect us." I turned to her, and watched as the very last vestiges of comfort left her and her tears began streaming down her face and she sniffed loudly. I patted her on the back, feeling completely helpless as she cried silently.

"I'm sorry Neo, but we have to go, now while they still think we're asleep. We take what we can and slip into the air vents; then when we land in Atlas we can make a break for it. I showed her the jewelry that I had taken; "We can sell these once we get there; we'll be okay Neo, but you have to be strong… okay?"

She sniffed and nodded fiercely, blowing her nose on the covers she looked at me, and I saw a fire kindle in her eyes; "Let's go." she whispered hoarsely.

* * *

A short time later, I peeked my head carefully out the door; looking up and down the hallway. My mother's lectures running through my mind; "A business owner must know his business just as much or better than those below him." my mother had stated, as she forced me to read over blueprint after blueprint; "Or else he will have no defense against his workers or his competitors."

Fortunately, Cola unlikely knew just how much information he had given me when he had told me the name of the ship. Laisren airships had naming schemes that indicated their model, that it was named the North Star, meant it would be an Astrologer class ship. If we were in the guest suites, then the maintenance entrance would be just a few doors down from the lounge where Cola had spoken with us. The vents would be circulating warm air from the engines that would help keep the lounge comfortable despite the colder temperatures at higher altitudes.

I beckoned Neo to follow me and we silently made our way there; ears straining for any sound of people moving around. Fortunately; we didn't run across anyone, which made sense, considering the airship wasn't exactly being used as a luxury liner at the moment. The Astrologer models could easily hold a hundred passengers plus crew. As far as I was aware, Cola and us were the only passengers.

Finally we came to a wooden door; 'No Passengers beyond this point' was carved in red letters on its front. I turned the knob and was relieved to find it unlocked. I peeked in to find a computer panel with lights flickering and blinking in a myriad of colors; and a maintenance shaft entrance right next to it.

I knelt down and carefully removed the cover, "C'mon Neo, you go first, take a right and keep going until you come to a large space." I followed behind her and carefully replaced the cover; making sure to click in the tamper buttons in the upper corner that would have told them where we had entered the vents.

Satisfied that our tracks were at least decently covered, I followed Neo down the vents. We made slow progress, as we had to make as little noise as possible; difficult to do when you're in a echoing metallic tunnel. Eventually we came to a square space that we could both squeeze into side-by-side; making sure to keep our limbs out of sight of the main vent.

"What is this place?" Neo whispered.

"It's a drone stop," I gestured at strange metallic box in front of us, "the vents are too small for most people to get around in comfortably; so most of the work is done by automated drones. That box is a stop station for them where they can repair tools, recharge, and restock on supplies." I shifted around, trying to get more comfortable, "Go ahead and get some sleep, when the ship lands we'll have to move fast." I felt Neo put her head on my shoulder and my face grew hot. Soon she was breathing softly, fast asleep. I sighed a little as I tried to awkwardly shift myself so that my face wasn't so close to hers; and I leaned back against the wall behind me; I closed my eyes and my exhaustion hit me like a truck; and everything went black.

* * *

I woke up to hear a flurry of activity and I listened carefully.

"We're docking soon, go ahead and inform the boss." a gruff voice said.

"You know Bayard probably quoted the exact second we would arrive to him before we started out right?" the other replied.

The first voice snorted, "Yeah, but you know he'll want to know anyway."

"Fair enough, you see how he reacted when Kyoko told him those kids were missing?"

I shot up and Neo mumbled sleepily from my shoulder, I ignored her, listening intently.

"Yeah, just kind of shrugged and waved her away, didn't even order a search. Though Kyoko's just about torn the place apart looking for 'em"

"Kind of weird considering he told everyone that their existence is top secret."

The other sighed, "Classic boss, knows something we don't; now go tell him we'll be docking soon; same port as usual."

I heard the other man walk away and a door closed. I turned to Neo. "Hey, wake up, we're landing soon." Neo raised her head and rubbed her eyes, stifling a yawn.

"We're going to crawl ahead, there will be a vent exit in a private study room; from there; there's a maintenance crawlspace; once we get there, we can escape through the scaffolding. Ready?"

Neo nodded and we began crawling through the vents once more; I was running the memories of that blueprint over and over in my head. I took a wrong turn once or twice, and nearly ran right into a drone as it zoomed along the corridor; twisting aside at the last second.

Finally we arrived at the vent exit and I looked through the grating; the room was fairly spacious, but nearly barren. The only furniture I could see was the back enormous high backed chair that looked out a large window that looked out to reveal huge docking towers that stretched high into the sky. Airships could be seen floating gracefully around the spires; and for a second I was mesmerized by the sight. Then I shook myself and examined the room; it looked empty, so I started to remove the cover.

I stood up slowly and stretched, relieved to be out of the cramped spaces of the vent. Neo followed my example and let out a small sigh of pleasure.

Suddenly my heart leapt into my chest, as a large ebony hand extended into view out from the side of the chair, it waved us forward.

"Ah, Rowan, Neo… so good to see that you're alright; come… join me." Cola said; his powerful voice echoed throughout the room.

I cautiously walked forward to stand beside the chair; and looked at the massive man; who was gracefully reclining in the chair. For all the world looking like a king upon his throne. He nodded to me, though his gaze was fixated on the sight outside.

"Beautiful isn't it?" he asked, "Atlas is the most beautiful city I have ever seen. Yet at its heart, it's ugly… so woefully ugly." he turned his gaze to me. "You, I believe, know full well of what I speak."

I swallowed nervously, saying nothing. He sighed, "Rowan, I think it's time we be honest with each other." he rested his chin on a giant fist. "I assume you escaped because you don't trust me… is that correct?"

I nodded before I could stop myself and he grunted in response, "I can't say that I blame you." he said calmly, "After all, you've lived in that hell hole for years and I only now come and free you from it. I have little to no ulterior reason to help you; and yet every reason to sell you to your enemies; of which you have many. All of which no doubt would pay handsomely to have you removed." He turned to me and smiled slightly, "And you are suspicious because none of this occurred to you until I wasn't in the room with you; how am I doing so far?"

I said nothing, but stared fiercely at him; he nodded and reached to his side and pulled out a hand gun. I gave a start but rather than pointing it at me, he held it out on his palm for me to take. "Go ahead, take it, pull back on the slide to make sure it's loaded." he instructed me.

I did so with shaking hands; suddenly more scared now than I was before, I stared at the man, who was still calmly looking out the window.

"I give you that weapon, because as far as you're aware, you have two options, you either surrender; or you subdue me and flee. You're nowhere near skilled or strong enough to beat me; even working together, so that gun is the only way to incapacitate me. The crew has strict orders to keep your existence to themselves, so they will be the only ones that will be hunting you two should you kill me. Now then..."

He looked me in the eyes, "How much do you know about Semblances?"

My eyes widened, "Semblances are powers that are manifested through the use of Aura, wielded by individuals gifted from birth; varying in scope and power randomly." I quoted from the book I had read on the subject under my mother's tutelage.

He nodded, "Very good; I possess a Semblance; and I am sorry to say that I used it on you when we first met. I can influence people's actions and emotions with my voice." He nodded at the gun, "If you believe that I am attempting to manipulate you in any such way, then feel free to shoot me. Extreme I know, but writing this just seems so much less dramatic." he smiled slightly, "And I'm afraid that I've quite the penchant for the dramatic. Now first of all, I knew your mother; in fact, we were quite close."

"I never saw you at the house." I protested and I gripped the gun tighter; as if it was a talisman against the giant in the chair.

He nodded sadly, "Unfortunately, yes, I never had the pleasure of meeting you. I won't lie to you Rowan; I am not a good man, I have done very bad things. Because of that; your mother couldn't openly associate with me. However, I do have a piece of proof that with your permission I would like to read to you."

He reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a pair of small spectacles; he dusted them off and put them on; and reached into his suit to pull out a worn, and familiar book.

I gasped and he smiled, "Yes, one of my men found it after searching the sleeping areas; 'The Tale of the Four Knights'…" he looked at me levelly, "One of her favorite stories; no doubt she gave this to you." he opened it and flipped through it rapidly; to a page that I knew well, and he cleared his throat.

"'Oh poor, simple Destiny. Call instead upon your fair heroes to trudge through the mud and grime.'"

"' To take upon their shoulders, the burden of the honest ox and climb the hill before them.'"

"'Only to find that the cart they so valiantly pulled was empty of both purpose and value; nobility's dishonorable jest.'"

"' Let them do thy part; I shall instead do what I do best; lie, cheat, steal, and survive.'"

"' Thereby; by these lesser virtues, I shall establish a fair new world.'"

He looked up and snapped the book shut, before offering it to Neo, "Neopolitan, would you please hold that for Rowan? His hands are full at the moment." she took it and clutched it to her chest. He nodded to her, then turned to me, "That was your mother's favorite character, Torchwick. A ruffian who was no knight; yet he would end up ruling the kingdom of Vacton; which we know today as Vacuo; and it alone of its neighbors would survive the Grimm invasions that followed. While the good and noble knights eventually brought ruin to the land and were unable to hold them back."

I looked at him numbly; then slowly lowered the gun, "She said something similar to me… during my lessons. She said that less honorable or conventional routes could do infinitely more than just doing it how it had been done before."

He nodded, "The thing is Rowan; I owe your mother my life." he said simply. "I was stranded up in the mountains; betrayed by my pilot and left to freeze to death." He nodded to me, "Your mother was the only ally I had that didn't abandon me, she personally organized the search and rescued me. She told me that when you asked about why she was gone for a week; that she had gone to a mathematics seminar; and she had to stay up all night to create problem sets to maintain the fiction."

I stared at the man for a moment; mulling over everything he had said. I found it highly unlikely that anyone but a friend of my mother's would happen to know one of her favorite passages uttered by her favorite character in one of her favorite stories. Also it was highly unlikely that he would know about one of the excuses my mother gave me when she had mysteriously disappeared for a week; taking the fastest airship in the Laisren fleet.

"What was the name of the airship that she brought to rescue you?" I asked suddenly.

He inclined his head to me, a faint smile on his lips, "As you well know Rowan, that airship has no set name; today I believe its name would be, 'Friday'."

I recoiled in shock; and my arms fell limply by my side as I stared at him. He smiled and stood up out of the chair. He held out a palm and I numbly handed him the gun. He pocketed it and turned to us; "Good; now with all of that out of the way; let's get you to your new home; shall we?"

He pulled out a small communicator and punched the button; Bayard's voice came over its speaker a few seconds later.

"Yes sir?"

"Arrange shade transportation to the Sea Reach house for four; Kyoko is to accompany; you are to tell her that I've found Rowan and Neopolitan. Also inform her that she will be on a long term assignment and that she'll have tomorrow to make arrangements; have her contact Melanie if she has any questions. Get Keara; she'll be on house detail as well."

There was a short pause; "Very well sir; it will be done. I'll be waiting with the car in sixteen minutes and twenty-seven seconds; at 9:32:34; parking lot C, spot 32."

"Excellent, thank you Bayard." Cola said; and he put the communicator back in his suit. He turned to us; "Come children," he walked past us and opened the door, "It's time you met the city of Atlas face to face."


	4. Chapter 4

Journal Entry 259

It's funny how trust works; the Atlesian military still orders their warships from Laisren Aerial Manufactory; despite its less than squeaky clean past. Yet that trust doesn't extend to allowing Laisren staff on the ship itself; I can tell because there's a lot of little things wrong with the ship that no self-respecting worker would have allowed. For example; the capacitor in the left wing is not quite calibrated; I can tell because of the sound the engine makes when the ship is changing elevation. It's forcing the pilot to make some unecessary adjustments; which I can tell you makes it quite difficult to write sometimes.

After that conversation on the _North Star_ , I trusted Cola, he probably did use some of his Semblance to make sure that his end would not be met at the hands of a twitchy child. However, he had presented me with evidence beyond reproach; it also probably helped that I wanted to trust him. I wanted to be able to rely on someone to keep us safe and fed.

The sole person I trust to do that now is devilishly handsome and stylish…

* * *

We followed Cola through a series of tunnels and alleyways; the crowds flowed around the large man as people moved to and from the airship docking bays. Neo was nervous being around so many people and could feel her trembling slightly as she gripped tightly to my hand while we walked. We finally arrived at an elevator; where a group of men in mechanic's overalls were chatting idly as they waited for the elevator car.

One of them saw Cola and his eyes widened, he tapped one of his fellows on the shoulder and nodded at us. He turned, and the group slowly grew silent as they stared at the three of us.

Cola tipped his hat politely and smiled, "Good day gentlemen," he said.

The men bowed their heads slightly to him and babbled a variety of greetings in return. The elevator car arrived and the doors opened with a ding. Cola waved his cane at the empty car, "After you."

The men got into the elevator like it was the last lifeboat on a sinking ship. They stared at Cola, who smiled politely in return, before the doors closed I heard the men start whispering to one another, the only words I caught were, "Can't believe… Red Snow."

I frowned as I looked at the big man beside me, who appeared unfazed by the encounter, but simply pulled out a golden pocket watch and checked the time, before putting it back in his suit. He noticed my gaze and grinned, "Must have mistaken me for someone else." he said calmly, the next elevator opened and he stepped into the waiting lift. Neo and I followed, the large man pressed a button and we began our descent.

A few moments later, the doors opened to reveal a large parking garage. Cola began walking briskly along the aisles, he stopped abruptly a short distance later; nearly causing me to collide with him. I looked around him to see an empty parking spot with the number 'C-32', painted in yellow letters. The big man once more pulled out the pocket watch and checked it.

"11, 10, 9…" he began counting down under his breath, his cane idly tapping against the ground at each count. Suddenly at the count of four, a large white car pulled out from around the corner, parking into the spot in a smooth motion.

The door to the driver's seat opened and Bayard stepped out, he walked up to the passenger seat and opened it, bowing slightly.

"You're late Bayard," Cola remarked, the older man bowed slightly deeper.

"My apologies sir, the handler had a cold."

Cola waved to us, "Go on in Rowan, Neopolitan."

We walked up and I bent down to enter the car when I saw Kyoko sitting in the far seat. I grimaced and slid across the seat to sit in the middle. I was shocked when the woman reached out and hugged me tightly, "I was so worried Rowan! I thought that those slavers had raided the ship or something!"

Neo got into the other seat and her eyes brightened as she saw Kyoko, "Hello Kyoko," she said, she grinned sheepishly, "Sorry about making you worry like that."

Kyoko smiled, but whatever she had been about to say died in her throat as Cola entered the front passenger seat. The woman bowed her head, shamefaced, "Sir, I'm sorry that I lost them like that."

Cola turned his head slightly to look at her, "It was I who did not put them under guard; you did nothing wrong Kyoko. In fact, it is heartening to see that you get along with them; you were informed you were to be given a long term assignment?"

The woman frowned in confusion, but I could see a trace of fear in her eyes, apparently 'long-term assignments' did not necessarily equate to a long life span… or at least a pleasant task. She nodded, "Yes sir, I was."

Cola smiled then turned his head forward, "Good; you will be assigned as one of two caretakers for Rowan and Neo. The other is Keara Rysin; your particular assignment will be etiquette and completion of basic schooling. Hers shall be mostly housekeeping; along with two men who run an excellent cleaning and maintenance service who will come on the second Tuesday of every month. I will give you their contact information for emergencies."

Neo let out a little cheer, and I could see relief wash over Kyoko's face, but she composed herself quickly and smiled at Neo. For my part, while it was a relief not to be in the mines, I had to confess that I thought back to my lessons with my mother and grimaced a little.

Cola continued, "The house in question will be the Sea Reach house, 4242 Wavecrest Ave." he reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a manilla folder, which he passed back to Kyoko.

"That possesses most of the information about the layout and the other arrangements; inside you'll find the keys and a card that is connected to an account for this purpose. You will spend the night there tonight, then Keara will arrive tomorrow morning at 8:00 to relieve you. At that time, you will have until midnight of that day to make all necessary arrangements, Melanie shall assist you with this. Any questions?"

Kyoko glanced over the folder's contents, "What is the pass phrase for identification?" she asked.

"The phoenix rises." Cola replied promptly, "any other questions?"

Kyoko shook her head, "None right now sir."

The rest of the car ride was in silence, and I gawked at the construction going on around us. The last I had seen Atlas, it had been just a collection of labs, the developing academy for Hunters and Huntresses, and a couple of factories. Now, it was a sprawling city that stretched for miles; with buildings ranging from soaring skyscrapers, to simple, squat homes that were gathered into neat, organized blocks.

Finally we pulled off the main thoroughfare and into a street that had slightly larger homes, these having two stories; although they shared the same simple blocky structure as the other residential buildings.

Bayard pulled the car into the driveway of one of the homes; he parked the car and got out. Cola turned his head to us; "Bayard and I will assist in initial security sweep." he explained as he opened the door and got out of the car.

Neo and I followed Kyoko out of the car; and watched as Bayard grabbed a strange metal wand from out of the trunk. Kyoko pulled a metal key from the folder and used it to open the plain wooden door. We entered to find a fairly spacious entry hall, moving from there, we waited on some couches in a central living room while Bayard went around the house; waving the wand over the walls and furniture.

Finally, he walked into the room and nodded sharply to Cola, "All clear sir."

Cola nodded, "Very well it's time for us to go then," he stood up and pulled two scrolls out of his suit. He handed one to Neo and one to me, "These are for you own personal use; to contact me, simply send a message to the number labeled, 'Uncle Nicholas'. If it's an emergency, doesn't hesitate to call me, I'll be in Mantle for a few weeks on business; but I'll have people available."

I examined the device; feeling lost, here was a man who had known my mother and yet I couldn't think of a single question to ask him before he left; as far as I knew, for good.

Cola seemed to sense my anxiety because he knelt down, his face level with mine, "I'm sorry Rowan, but I can't spend more time here. How about this, I'll visit after I'm finished with my business in Mantle; I promise."

I looked up at him, and then nodded; he patted me on the shoulder and stood up, then he and Bayard walked out the door and soon I heard the car start up and pull away.

Kyoko turned to us and clapped her hands together, "Alright, let's see what we can scare up for dinner."

* * *

We ended up making sandwiches, using supplies from the lightly stocked refrigerator and pantry. Kyoko laughed as Neo dug into her fourth sandwich; "You know, you're a big eater for being so small."

Neo looked sheepish as she swallowed, "Miss Kyoko? Mister Cola said something about teaching us."

Kyoko nodded, "That's right Neopolitan, I'll be homeschooling you and Rowan."

Neo fidgeted a little, "He said something about etiquette?"

Kyoko smiled, "Yes, I'll be teaching how to make you two a proper lady and gentleman."

Neo giggled at that, "Are you a proper lady Miss Kyoko?"

I saw a strange look flit across the woman's eyes, but her smile never broke, "You could say that." she replied. She stood up quickly and began cleaning up some of the plates; "When you guys are done eating, we'll go ahead and get you guys ready for bed. You'll be meeting Keara tomorrow."

"Iff fhe a rady foo?" Neo asked past a mouthful of food.

Kyoko frowned at her in mock severity, "Neopolitan, a lady does not talk with her mouth full."

Neo swallowed, "Is she a lady too?" she repeated.

Kyoko grimaced slightly before turning her attention back to the dishes, "Umm… well, she's… interesting. C'mon and help me with the dishes Rowan; I'll wash and you dry, there are towels in that drawer."

She pointed to the side of the sink, and I got up out of the chair. Kyoko hummed as she worked; Neo listened wide eyed from the table.

I was silent, simply enjoying the sound as I dried the dishes after Kyoko washed them; setting them off to the side to be put away. I honestly still had difficulty believing after those years of hell in the mines; that I could ever return something that even remotely resembled a normal life.

After we had finished, we scouted out the rest of the rooms; there was an enormous study that had bookcases packed with books of all kinds. Which I silently swore I would investigate at the soonest opportunity. The living room, the dining room, a large, empty room, that Kyoko explained was a sparring room; then four bedrooms; each with their own bathroom.

"All right," Kyoko said, "you guys have any preferences, for your rooms?" she turned her gaze to the two of us. We both shook our heads, "Alright, then why don't you have this one Neopolitan, and Rowan, you can have this one." she indicated the two middle bedrooms, "I'll be in this one over here." she pointed to the one at the far right. "If you guys need anything just come and knock, alright?"

Then to my surprise, she bent over and fiercely hugged Neo; who returned it with equal fervor. Then she turned to me and spread her arms wide; and I walked up and hugged her; a part of me thought it was kind of weird. However, to my surprise; another part of me fiercely told that part of me to stuff it.

Kyoko smiled at the two of us; "I probably won't see you guys in the morning; but I'll be back the day after. Then we can start our lessons; goodnight you two!" she waved at us, and went into her room; closing the door gently behind her.

I walked into my new room and simply marveled at that thought, my own room, I had gone from having a little hole in the wall, to a bed and room of my very own in just a couple of days. I walked into the bathroom and took a hot shower, letting the water run over my body; I found a pair of pajamas in the wardrobe in the corner of the room and slipped into them, marveling at the comfort.

I slipped into the bed and sighed as I closed my eyes; and soon sleep was overtaking me. Just before I fell asleep however, there was a timid knock at the door, I frowned and walked up to it. I cautiously opened it to see Neo standing there, her eyes wide and imploring.

I sighed and opened the door wide, in the end, I gathered up some of the blankets and a pillow and slept on the ground at the base of the bed. I made a mental note to request that we share a room tomorrow. I found that, despite my initial elation at having my own room; the idea of sharing a room with Neo didn't smother my feelings in the slightest; in fact, it felt kind of right.

I smiled slightly as I heard her peaceful breathing from the bed; and I closed my eyes, for the first time in years, looking forward to the dawn.

* * *

I woke up to the smell of tobacco; I opened my eyes to see an unfamiliar woman looking down at me. She grunted, "Nice to see that you're awake dearie, was just about to rouse you myself."

I sat up, and Neo murmured sleepily at the disturbance; the woman frowned fiercely. "You two had better not be up to any mischief, or I'll tan both your hides."

My face grew red and she chuckled, "Aw, I'm teasing you love," she eyed me severely, "mostly... now both of you get up and dressed. I'll be down in the kitchen with some breakfast."

She walked out of the room and closed it behind her, I reached over and shook Neo, who sat up and rubbed her eyes blearily. Soon we were both dressed and we walked to the kitchen to find the woman in an apron, fussing over a pan; a delicious smell wafted through the air. She saw us and grunted, "Sit yourselves down, it'll be ready in just a mo'."

I eyed her warily, "So I'm assuming you're Keara?"

"Was it that obvious?" she asked.

"What's the pass phrase?" I asked her.

She looked at me and grinned, "'The phoenix rises', you get three points love; though Maidens know if I had meant you harm I would've slit your throats right quick whilst you were lying in that bed. Now sit yourselves down at that table before I make you."

We obeyed and took our seats, a few moments later, platefuls of eggs and pile of unidentifiable mush was set before us. The woman sighed as she sat in the chair and began digging in with gusto. She looked up to see that, while both of us had finished the eggs, the glob was still untouched. She grunted, "C'mon, if you don't eat your yadok, you won't grow up big and strong."

"Just… what is this?" I asked as I poked at it suspiciously, even the stuff in the mines hadn't looked so vile.

"I told you love, it's yadok… give it a try, it'll put some hair on your chest, 'cept for you." she pointed at Neo who had looked horrified at the thought, "it'll just put some meat on your bones."

I shoveled a bit of the yadok onto my spoon and reluctantly put it in my mouth. Yadok is… interesting… if you've ever had it… you know what I mean… the best way to describe it is… meat. That's right, just meat, it's like if you combined literally every single kind of meat you could think of, bacon, porkchop, beef, chicken, sausage, etc.; combined that into one and you have yadok. It's a northern dish that as far as I can tell can only be made by only by those robust women of the cold north; and no, I have no clue what is in it or how it's made; Neo sometimes makes it for me as a treat, but she's refused to share its secrets.

My eyes lit up and I began shoveling it in, and Neo after seeing this, shrugged and gave it a taste. Her expression lit up and soon all of the unidentifiable mass was gone from our plates. Keara gave a satisfied grunt; "Alright then, let's get this mess cleaned up." She picked up the dishes and set them in the sink; she rolled back her sleeves and raised an eyebrow at me. I got up and grabbed a dishcloth; she nodded sharply at me in approval and began washing.

"I always find that work like this goes better with a tune, Neopolitan, do you know 'Doiteain Anam Mna'." she shook her head blankly and the woman frowned. "You don't? Every woman should know that song." she began roaring out a tune that, while rough; had a certain fire to it. She stopped and beckoned Neo to follow along, and soon the two were singing in tandem.

As I listened, I noticed that Neo actually had a very good voice; Keara seemed to notice it too, and stopped occasionally to give her pointers. "No love, push out with your chest! Let it out for all of Remnant to hear! Nobody wants to listen to a mouse squeak! They want to hear a woman roar!" Neo followed her advice and I actually stopped what I was doing to simply stare at her as she sang along with Keara. Finally the song ended and Neo smiled sheepishly; "We'll keep working on it love; but you got a gift there." she turned back to me and smacked me lightly on the head. "Who said you could lolligag there, get back to work! You can take a break for now love." she said to Neo, "we'll finish up here."

* * *

A short while later I had put the last dish away in the cupboard. Keara turned to me and nodded, "Right then, get your teeth brushed and get yourself to the sparring room, grab Neopolitan too; we need to get you two started on your training."

Soon, Neo and I were standing in front of the woman, she had tied back her white hair back in a ponytail, and was eyeing us critically.

"Alright you two, if we're gonna get you two into shape, I'm gonna have to see what you already know." she beckoned at us, "In the future, we'll be using readers and the like, but for now, we'll do without." she patted herself on the chest, "Now hit me."

Neo and I looked at each other, and then back to the woman, who frowned at us fiercely, "Well? C'mon then! I'm not getting any younger! Maidens know I wish that were the case!"

I hesitantly dropped into a combat stance, Neo looked over and copied me as best as she could. Keara snorted, "Alright, time out, this won't do at all." she walked up to me, and started poking and prodding me. "Put this leg out more, and relax it, you'll do yourself no good if you tense up. This fist! Up here! It'll do you no good by your belly." She continued this, until finally she nodded in satisfaction, then she turned to Neo, eyeing her stance critically, "You done this before love?"

Neo shook her head nervously; Keara snorted, "Heh, could've fooled me, alright then, now that you two know how to stand, let's see if you can fight." she walked back to her originally position, then turned to face us once more. "Alright then, come and get me!"

I charged forward, and threw out a right hook; Keara easily batted it aside and threw out a kick at my forward leg. I grimaced as it buckled slightly and flushed with embarrassment as I realized that she had pulled back the kick, and that it had been to demonstrate that I had fallen out of stance again. Neo circled left and threw out an experimental jab, Keara brushed that aside as well; then jabbed her slightly on the elbow in reply. A short while later, Neo and I were covered in small aches and bruises, and the older woman stood there, completely unscathed. Finally, she held up a hand; "Alright that's enough you two."

I sat back on the ground and began massaging my bruises; Neo did the same beside me. The woman chuckled, "Well, the good news is that you two aren't completely hopeless; the bad news, is that you got a lot to learn." she clapped her hands together, "Alright then, let's get a bit more practice in, then we'll call it a day." She spent the next half hour demonstrating punches and kicks on a bag, then had us copy the moves over and over until she was satisfied.

"Alright," she said as Neo connected firmly on the bag with a side kick. "Go ahead and clean up you two. Then get over to the study, we've got some class time ahead of us."


	5. Chapter 5

**Huge shout-out to TehGramerPolise for helping out a ton with this chapter.**

* * *

Journal Entry 263

The upcoming entries are some of the most bittersweet memories I'll be dredging up on this stroll down memory lane. With the childhood I barely remember; aside from the time I spent as a slave in the mines. This time of my life definitely stands as the first time I remember being… content. I understand that this term carries certain connotations, so allow me to explain. There are times I've been happy; after all, planning heists and performing misdeeds is pleasurable. Having massive wealth and a personal army at your beck and call has its own thrill.

But behind that has always been the feeling of hunger; for more power, more wealth… for revenge.

There's a high in prowling the streets of the world like a tiger; taking what you wish and having a pelt that makes all that gaze upon you green with envy. However, I admit there is a curse that this all carries. As wise man once told me, 'The dragon must never sleep… after all, imagine how loud a guy dragon snores; he'll never get the lady dragons.' Not exactly poetic, but carries a message all the same. Once you enter the game, you either are always on alert and always at the top of your game; or you die… worse; you lose.

Thus there's a kind of happiness that this thrill of power and wealth can never achieve; a kind of peaceful innocence. That's what I mean by being content; I didn't have to worry about being starved or being killed in a Dust explosion. It's indescribable the world of difference of going from all of that; to a time-out or being paddled (Yes, paddled, Keara had a wooden spatula she called the 'Whooping Stick' that she utilized for this purpose. Laugh all you want, but the woman had arms like tree trunks). [To those whom it may concern, you should know that 'laugh all you want' is a figure of speech and if I even _suspect_ you to be mocking me over this, dire retribution will follow.]

This contentedness, this happiness; of days being spent reading with Neo; in lessons with Kyoko and Keara; of celebrating the holidays, and being part of a family would last a total of six years.

These six years mark the last time I would ever be content.

* * *

Journal Entry 264

We showered and changed out of our sweaty sparring clothes and made our way to the study to find that Keara was already there sitting at the desk. She looked up from some papers she had been poring over; her emerald eyes peering at us behind a pair of spectacles. She took them off and gave us a wide grin.

"Ah, there you are; come 'ere and sit yourselves down." she pointed to two small desks that were arranged in front of her. Neo and I sat down and looked at her, not sure what to expect. She chuckled at us, "Sit up straight you two, but there's no need to look like a Beowolf is coming to eat you."

She stood up and placed a stack of papers on each of our desks; along with two pairs of pencils. She sat leaned forward on the desk and looked at us from over her steepled fingers. "Alright, so here's what we're doing today, you two are going to take these evaluation tests; don't be stressed. We're just going to find out at what stage you two are at; you may begin when you are ready." her gaze turned severe, "Now, I don't think I need to tell you this; but you'll only be hurting yourselves if you cheat; and I don't just mean in terms of your education." She reached down behind the desk and pulled out a tool that I would learn to dread; a simple wooden spatula which she placed on the table.

"This here's my 'Whooping Stick'," she said, "I'll be watching you two, and if I see any funny business, I'll be whooping you with it. Understood?"

We both nodded mutely, staring at the stick; she huffed a little, "Well, go on then. Get started; once you're done, give me your paper and you can grab a couple books from the shelf and relax in the living room." she leaned back and resumed reading the papers in front of her.

For my part, I exchanged a glance with Neo and then looked down at the packet in front of me. I opened it, picked up a pencil, and began dutifully answering the questions inside. At first the questions were simple, a mix of basic vocabulary, science, and math problems. About midway through however, I began struggling slightly, and when I finally reached the end; I could only give my best guess.

Roughly an hour later, I closed the booklet and stood up, Neo copied my movement and we both laid our packets on Keara's desk. She pulled them in front of her and pulling out a red pen she opened my packet. She looked up to see that we were both standing there mutely, staring at her; she sighed slightly.

"I assure you loves, this isn't gonna be a whale of a time. Go on and wait in the living room; read or put on the holo 'till I'm done here." she waved us off and began reading through my answers in silence; her eyes flitting across the page.

I turned to Neo, who walked up the bookshelf and grabbed a book before walking back to me, grabbing my hand and pulling me out of the room. We reached the living room and she turned around and put the book in my hands; I looked at it and smiled slightly when I saw it was the Tale of the Four Knights.

"Again?" I asked wryly.

She said nothing, but sat down on the couch and looked at me with bright eyes. I sat down next to her and flipped to a page that I knew well from the mines.

I cleared my throat, "The Tale of Jack and the Maiden; or 'Why the Lights Shine in the Northern Sky'." Neo huffed slightly as I mentioned the second title and I stuck my tongue out at her. She never liked the second name of the story; as she always felt it was unromantic. Secretly I agreed with her, but it always fun to tease her, so I insisted on reading it. I looked down once more at the book and began reading aloud.

"Twas long ago said that there was a boy named Jack; whose songs were so beautiful that the very land itself would weep at their sound. For it was the truth his songs could only ever inspire sadness; as there was never another heart with who could sing with his in harmony. One day he sat alone underneath the starry sky; and it was there that he saw the stars in the sky and there, in the midst of his greatest sense of despair; made his greatest song."

"For it was said of this song, that it was no song of loneliness or despair; but a song of love to the stars; for it was in that moment that he realized that the stars themselves had always been there. He sang for seven nights; stopping when the sun hid their twinkling beauty and waking in the twilight to begin once more his ballad."

"It was on this seventh night, beneath a moon full; that a star shone brighter than the others. As Jack sang it grew brighter and brighter," I held out my hands for emphasis, setting down the book, I knew most of the story by heart after reading it to her so many times anyway.

"Finally, it grew so bright that he covered his eyes, but his song never wavered. Finally, the blinding light faded and he opened his eyes to see a maiden whose beauty words can only crudely describe."

"Her hair was like a flowing river, bespeckled with motes of light that glittered beneath the pale light of the moon. Her eyes held a light that was not blinding as the sun's, but calm and cool; twinkling as they beheld the man before her. Jack's song paused as he stared at the beautiful woman before him. For a time, they sat like this in silence, but then the woman before him began to sing."

"To Jack's shock, it was his song that came sweetly from the maiden's lips; and after a time, he too joined; adding his voice to the song once more. Their duet rang across the night sky; bewildering all of those for miles around; who broke out into tears. However, these were tears not of sadness, but of joy and love."

"However, the creatures of Grimm heard the song too; and they came in the night. Teeth gnashing and eyes burning; for while fear and hate to them is sweet; this love was poisonous to their ears and a toxin to their dark souls."

"They surrounded the glade where the lovers sang; and while they knew that they were there; the song never once faltered. The Grimm circled for a time; howling and snarling their rage; for it was incomprehensible to them that these two could feel no fear at their presence."

"Finally, the largest and the boldest among them stepped forward and struck the lovers down. _Snicker! Snack!_ Went his claws. _Rip! Tear!_ Went his jaws." I mimed out the actions; baring my teeth and curling my fingers as I did so, and Neo gave a small squeal. I smiled, and continued in a sad whisper.

"The two lovers fell silent, falling still upon the ground," I paused dramatically, then continued, "but despair not, for the tale does not end here dear ones." Neo's eyes widened and I grew louder as I continued, "Yet the Grimm cried and yelped as the song did not vanish, but instead grew louder, and yet louder. Until finally it deafening them and driving them mad with its sound. The Grimm turned on one another in a fury, ripping and clawing each other to pieces. When the clearing once more fell silent, all of the Grimm were gone; fading into the wind."

"Upon her vile throne in the Realm of Grimm; the dark lady hissed and writhed as she felt her creatures' torment as if it were her own. It ate and tore at her heart and she watched in horror as a green light flowed across the sky; then a blue one joined it; twisting together as they flowed across the night sky." I twisted and writhed and Neo booed as I hissed and mimed clawing at my eyes, I smiled and continued.

"Finally, she screamed as from these two lights, a song whispered into her ears; not the same song sung by the lovers before; but a new song; even more pure and full of love than the last. In despair, she pulled her consciousness away; and the Grimm howled and fell away from the forests of the land of Solitas, falling back to their dark places beneath the earth." Neo cheered and I smiled as I picked up the book. I flipped through the pages until I reached the end of the story.

"And this dear ones, is why not only why the lights of the North shine in the sky, but indeed, why, upon their appearance, we celebrate the Festival of Lights, for beneath their splendor, the Grimm are powerless and we can celebrate life anew." I closed the book and Neo clapped excitedly, giving a small cheer.

Then we both gave a start as we heard similar applause from the entryway and we both turned to see Keara standing there,wiping a tear from her eye.

"You tell that story well love, and a good story it is." she declared as she walked over and sat down in the chair across from us. She checked her watch and grunted slightly, "Well alright then loves; we got us a bit of time until lunch. So this is what we'll do," she rubbed her hands together, "Since we're just getting to know each other; I'll let you two ask me any questions you can think of and I'll answer 'em." she sat back and looked between the two of us.

We were silent for a moment, then Neo raised her hand, Keara beamed, "Yes love?"

Neo lowered her hand, "Um… Miss Keara, where are you from exactly? I've never heard anyone talk like you before…"

Keara nodded, "I wouldn't think you would, I'm from a small archipelago off the Southern coast of Anima and Sanus; we don't tend to travel much."

"So why did you?" I asked.

She chuckled, "To be honest because I was bored, I wanted to see the world, and so I went to Vale and became a Huntress." she pulled out a pack of cigarettes, took one out and lit it. She breathed in deeply and exhaled, to our amazement the smoke didn't just emerge in a cloud; but rather began twisting and turning until it formed a Beowolf, which opened its mouth in a silent roar. She waved a hand and it dissipated; "Ended up that my Semblance wasn't exactly the most impressive, but I did alright."

We stared at the woman, "You were a Huntress?" Neo asked, wide-eyed.

Keara grunted, "Yes love, was a Huntress for twenty some odd years; then I retired from that life and became a teacher for twenty-five years." she noticed that our stares that became more wide-eyed, "What is it?" she asked.

"How old are you?" I half-whispered.

Her expression darkened and she lifted up a finger admonishingly, "Alright, first lesson right now; a gentleman never asks, and a lady never tells."

I winced slightly as Neo smacked me on the back of the head. Keara chuckled, "You need to flick your wrist into it love; that gives it more sting. Any more questions?"

"How did you meet Mister Cola?" Neo asked.

Keara frowned slightly and leaned back in the chair, and her eyes darkened. "How I met Cola eh?" she sighed, "First of all loves, how much do you know about Cola?"

"That he's the leader of Red Snow." I said, watching her closely for a reaction; she simply grunted. "Aye, that he is. Now, what do you know about Red Snow?"

"It's a criminal organization, isn't it?" I asked; although more uncertainly; somewhat apprehensive of the answer I would get.

The woman nodded, "Aye, although that's simplifying it a touch." she sat up, "So it's a criminal organization, but it's so much more than that. It has many branches; many of which are into legitimate businesses, from manufacturers to security firms. One of the primary branches that Cola deals in are favors." she paused for a moment and inhaled deeply from the cigarette before letting out another puff of smoke that twisted and shaped itself into a flower. She contemplated it for a moment before continuing.

"I stopped being a teacher when one of my students went rogue; he went on a killing spree that left hundreds of innocents dead. Afterwards he vanished, apparently hired under a major corporation that hid him and sabotaged the investigation." her eyes blazed, "I couldn't let that stand, he was my responsibility, and if they couldn't do it, I had to. I went to Cola and he agreed to help me find him and deal with him." she shrugged, "He fulfilled his end of the deal, so I was in his debt."

The woman leaned her head back, "Though that too is simplifying it a touch as well; Cola's not just a simple criminal. He's a bit of a head whopper, if somebody sticks up too far, gets too vicious or destructive, then he's there to beat them back down again. The law tends to turn a blind eye to his operations because of that. It also means working for him was an appealing alternative to simple retirement; I've been with the organization ever since."

She was silent as we digested that; it didn't exactly hearten me to learn that my suspicions were confirmed about our benefactor. Nor did her words necessarily comfort me too much; considering she had just admitted that she worked for him in his criminal empire.

"What did Cola do with the mine?" I asked suddenly.

She blinked in surprise, "The mine that you two were… working at?" she asked. I nodded, and she considered that for a moment, "From what I understand it'll still be operating, but with paid workers under the Dustwing Corporation; which is a Dust extraction and processing firm owned by Cola."

"What about all of the children who were there?" I asked.

Keara suddenly looked uncomfortable, "Well love… the ones… the ones that were left were put into orphanages and foster cares across Solitas."

"The ones that were left?" I pressed.

She shifted uncomfortably before letting out a sigh, "Love… are you sure you want to hear about this?" she asked.

I hesitated slightly but then nodded fiercely, she closed her eyes and leaned back, "The operators at the mine… as soon as they were sure they had lost, they started shooting everyone. Some of them balked at the orders, but others didn't… a lot of our forces arrived too late…"

My heart went into my throat and Neo let out a small gasp beside me, unwillingly my mind flashed back to the execution we had witnessed in our escape. Suddenly I thought about the girls that had been with Neo when we had fled, I wondered sadly if they had made it or not.

I heard Neo let out a strange sound beside me and turned to see that Neo was crying silently, her knees tucked under her chin.

Keara rose from her chair and knelt down in front of the girl and hugged her tightly, "There, there love… chin up… what's important is that you two are alright now… you'll never have to worry about those people ever again, I'm here…" I sat stone still, feeling numb as I watched the woman comfort Neo. Who's sobbing slowed until she finally rubbed her eyes, hiccuping slightly.

The woman turned to me, "Rowan, get to the kitchen and start setting up the table; we'll be by in just a bit."

I nodded, relieved to have an excuse to leave the scene; I got up and dashed into the kitchen, losing myself for a time in setting out the plates, silverware, and glasses.

* * *

A short while later, Keara and Neo walked into the kitchen, the latter slightly red around downcast eyes. Keara considered the kitchen and then nodded, "Alright then, let's teach you two how to cook a quick lunch." She moved in a blur; pulling out pots and pans before reaching into the fridge and pulling out a variety of vegetables and some of the left-over yadok.

"Here Rowan, you take a knife and cutting board and chop up some of those vegetables; Neo, come here and I'll show you how to make a good broth."

We spent the next few minutes working at our tasks; Keara popped over briefly to correct my technique.

"No love, you chop that like this, that way you don't squeeze out the juice." she deftly demonstrated the cuts; then glanced over at Neo; who was focussed on the pot; occasionally putting pinches of various spices in.

Keara bent over me, "Rowan, I can see that you're coping well with all that's happened to you; I've seen your type before. You've probably bounced back fairly well; but I've also seen Neo's type… she's going to take more time before she can heal… just try to be careful about what you say, alright?" she looked me in the eyes and I nodded silently. She smiled and patted me on the back, "Alright, slice up another one of those; then another pepper and we should be good to go."

Soon we were at the table, enjoying a hearty stew, all the more delicious because of our hunger and the work we had done to make it together.

Neo turned to Keara, "So what did you use to teach?" she asked.

"Keara smiled, "I used to teach at Atlas Academy; arithmetic, English, science, and I was also a sparring instructor."

Neo looked at her wide-eyed and Keara waved a hand dismissively, "Oh not all at once love; I swapped between them as we needed it. However, that's why I'm qualified to teach you two. I'll be handling the scholastic side of your education, and Kyoko will be handling the etiquette side of it"

After lunch, Neo regaled Keara and myself with a song as we cleaned up afterwards, with Keara giving more advice on singing; mostly about upping the volume and the enthusiasm.

Afterwards, Keara took us aside one at a time to give us the results of our tests. Keara brought me inside first; and I stood nervously as she went over the booklet.

"Well Rowan," she finally said, "Looks like your mother did a hell of a job, even with the… interruption… of your education; you're years ahead of schedule." she closed the booklet and looked up at me. "Amazingly, Neo isn't actually that far behind the standard; I'm guessing some of that was your doing?"

I shrugged, "I taught her in the mines, it was something to do."

She nodded, "I would prefer if you didn't let on too much how ahead you are; it might make her feel stressed or inadequate; hence why I did this separately with you two. Got it?"

I nodded, and she smiled, "Alright then, we're having dinner at 18:00, until then, you're free. Don't get used to it because tomorrow,Kyoko and I will run you ragged."

I left and went to the living room and settled down on the couch with a pile of books. A few minutes later, Neo walked up and sat next to me; she leaned over and rested her chin on my shoulder, looking at the book. I rolled my eyes slightly and adjusted it so that she could read it as well. We sat there in silence for hours, and this would practice would become a common pastime for us. It's one of the reasons that I'm secretly a little grateful that Neo didn't grow much bigger, because I'm pretty sure that as it was I have a permanent tilt to my shoulders from those sessions.

We had dinner of yet more yadok and a simple salad; which Neo practically had to be force-fed in order to get her to finish. Eventually however, we had cleared our plates and we did our usual dish washing arrangement that would also become common place during our years at that house.

Once more we cleaned ourselves off and went to bed, however, Keara agreed to move the bed so that we could share the room. We had watched in awe as she had squatted down and hefted the bed up by herself; moving it into position with ease.

After we got ready for bed, Keara tucked us in and bade us goodnight; I lay there for a time; the feeling of being in an actual bed still a tad surreal. Finally my eyelids grew too heavy and I fell into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

I woke to the soft sound of someone softly sobbing; I turned my head to see Neo sitting up in her bed. Her eyes were red and puffy; her hands clenched into fists.

For a while, I just lay there, feeling that same helplessness wash over me as I watched her silently. In the mines; there were times when she cried; but the answer was always obvious. When she hadn't gotten enough to eat; I shared some of my meager rations; when someone was picking on her; I beat their face in. This… I had no idea on where to even begin with this.

Finally I spoke, "Hey, are you okay?"

She let out a strangled sob, then shook her head slowly. I got up and sat down next to her and impulsively grabbed her hand. We sat there silently for a while as she cried quietly.

"Why did we live?" she asked suddenly. I turned to her, "Why? Why us… there were so many others that died; we _saw_ them die. What made us special, what gave us the right to survive when they didn't?"

I sat there for a moment; thinking about what to say."I see them in my dreams." she continued, "I see their faces, staring at me; accusing me… asking me those questions and I just…" she stopped and shook her head again.

I reached over and placed my hand on her head. She gave a start and I felt my heart wrench as I saw her mismatched eyes turn to me, full of tears, pain, and hope; hope that somehow I had all the answers. It was that hope that brought me to my conclusion.

"What gave us the right to survive... why were we special?" I asked. She nodded her head; "We're special because we fought to live; they gave up."

She choked back another sob as her gaze fell back to her lap, "That's so cruel." she said softly, her voice quavered uncertainly as she continued. "What about me? I gave up too, then you… you saved me; convinced me to escape with you. Why… why did I deserve-."

I grabbed her chin and made her look up at me, cutting her off. Her eyes swirled between pink, brown and white; along with the emotions of fear, doubt, and guilt. "Neo, I had given up long ago; thinking that I was going to die in those mines. I… I had thought a lot about taking the Leap; jumping off that cliff; and to hell with what happened to me after I did."

Her eyes widened as she stared at me, I grimaced, "Yeah; I mean; I had been in that place for so long; with only dying young, or being lucky enough to die old to look forward to. Eventually it was just too much; but before I could work up the courage, something changed."

I grinned at her and stroked her hair; letting the multi-color strands slip through my fingers. "You came and brightened up my world with your colors. You gave me something that I never had before, a reason to live. You gave something I can't give up, something that instilled in me hope that life is worth living,"

I looked at her once again, a plain smile on my face. I punched her lightly on the shoulder, "I didn't save you; we saved each other." I said simply.

She gave a small; hiccupping sob; but she also smiled faintly as her tears slowed.

I gripped her hand tight and placed it over my heart, "I'll always be with you. I won't let anything happen to you Neo, I promise."

She squeezed my hand in reply, "I won't let anything happen to you either." she whispered back.

We sat like that, hand held in hand, until sleep finally overtook us.

* * *

I woke with a start to a loud beeping noise; I turned my gaze to see an alarm clock on a nightstand that I was absolutely sure hadn't been there before. I reached over and smacked it; silencing it; beside me, Neo sat up and yawned.

The door slammed open and we both looked up to see Keara standing in the entryway wearing an apron; in one hand she held a pot and in the other she held an iron spatula. She clanged them together, "Alright loves! Get out of bed while breakfast is good and hot!"

We crawled out of bed and started to head to our wardrobes when suddenly I felt a massive hand grab me by my shoulder; I looked up to see Keara looking at us severely.

"I think you two forgot something!" she pushed us toward the bed and rolled up her sleeves. "I'll show you how to make a bed Atlesian army style."

She demonstrated the process in quick, efficient movements; and then undid it. She then had us make and remake the beds until she was satisfied. She finally nodded sharply, "There we go; from now on, I expect those beds to be crisply made every morning… is that understood?"

We both nodded and she smiled, "Alright then, I'll see you two out in the kitchen then." she walked out and closed the door behind her; leaving us to change. A short while later, we emerged into the kitchen to find Kyoko already sitting at the table reading from a scroll. She glanced up and smiled when she saw us. She stood up and walked up to us; she then bent down and hugged each of us in turn.

"Good morning you two! Did you guys sleep well?"

"Uhmm-hmmm!" Neo affirmed happily as she fiercely returned Kyoko's embrace.

The woman gestured to the pans on the stove, "Breakfast is still good and hot, omelettes with orange juice."

Neo and I each grabbed a plate and served ourselves up hearty portions, which we set upon in a frenzy. Across from us, Kyoko cleared her throat slightly, "I know you guys are hungry, but from now on you've got to stop eating like wolves."

We sat still for a moment, exchanging a confused look with each other; before turning back to Kyoko, who giggled slightly, "First of all, sit up straight; your back should be parallel with the back of the chair."

We did so, and then Kyoko picked up her knife and fork, "Now, instead of stuffing several bites at a time into our mouths; cut them into smaller pieces, like so." she demonstrated for us and we copied her motions. Soon we were eating in a manner much more to her liking; and I suppose resembled something like polite society.

Keara slightly ruined the image by settling down and wolfing down her food much like we had been earlier. Kyoko gave her a stern look; and Keara shrugged before stuffing another great big mouthful into her mouth. After we were done; Keara stood up and collected the dishes; I too stood up and walked over to help clean the dishes but the woman shooed me away.

"Thanks love, but I'll handle it this time; get your teeth brushed and then meet Kyoko in the study, you'll be having your first lesson with her today."

* * *

We entered the study; and to be honest, I wasn't sure what to expect; a part of me conjured images of Kyoko in a flowing dress and a tea cup held daintily in one hand. When we entered the room; we found the arrangement of the room was the same as yesterday; with the two small desks sitting across from Kyoko, who was reading a small book.

She looked up at us, and motioned for us to sit, then lowered her gaze back to the book. Neo and I sat in our seats and waited; Kyoko snapped the book shut and stood up. She walked around to the front of the desk and pulled out her scroll, placing it on the desk; she tapped in some commands and suddenly a map of Remnant appeared and hovered in the air.

"I will begin our lesson with a short lecture; with most people, etiquette merely covers the basics. At the very most, the average person will have to know silverware placement and the like." she turned her gaze to me.

"However, you are not the average person; you will have to learn the intricacies and subtleties in order to socialize with the upper echelon of society. Among the nobility, your every movement or word can make you an ally... or an enemy. They have played this game all of their lives; use what I teach you, not just to match them; but beat them at it."

She held her gaze on us for a bit; before relaxing her controlled stance and smiling ruefully, "I'm sorry if I made it sound kind of scary, but it will be important. In truth it is a little dull; so I'll try to make it a little more exciting."

Neo raised her hand, "What is it Neopolitan?" Kyoko asked her.

"So am I really going to talk with lords and ladies; just like in the stories?" she asked excitedly.

I saw Kyoko hesitate a little, "Well I suppose now is as good of time as any…" she cleared her throat. "So Neopolitan; you know that Rowan is the son of a woman who was really important, right?"

Neo's eyes widened, "Was she a noble?" she asked.

Kyoko bit her lip a little, "Kind of… she was known as a Baroness; she wasn't born a noble, but because of her company's power, she was recognized as nobility." she held up a hand, forestalling Neo's next question, "Look, I think we're jumping ahead a little, suffice to say, as a friend of Rowan's, you will be under as much scrutiny as he will. That's why I'll be teaching both of you; does that answer your question?"

Neo looked at me thoughtfully, then nodded.

Kyoko smiled, "Alright then; we'll begin with a bit of background." she tapped the Remnant map and it zoomed in on the large continent to the east. "Can either of you tell me the name of this landmass?"

I raised my hand, "Yes, Rowan?"

"That is the continent of Anima, home to the kingdom of Mistral." I answered.

She nodded, "Very good." she tapped a few buttons and the map moved north to focus on Solitas.

"When Solitas was first colonized; the sort that did so were a tough and hardy breed. Dust technology advanced rapidly, both due to its abundance, and as necessity to survive. Naturally, a hierarchy was constructed; with minor holdings forming with their own local nobility; based on who controlled the dust."

She tapped on the display, and it shifted once more; this time focussing on a small area, with a large dot; labeled 'Mantle" at its center.

"Mantle would be the place where the largest and most powerful corporations would reside; and the nobility there began to expand their power. Absorbing, or in extreme cases, annihilating the smaller lords. Eventually it ruled over the landmass; however, despite all of this, the nobility in general felt like they lacked a certain… legitimacy. The nobility in other countries have lines that extend for generations; and it gives them a certain sense of innate authority and stability.

"In an effort to achieve this; the nobility in Mantle pretty much adopted the Mistralian nobility's customs and mannerisms almost entirely; although it should be noted, not their titles. It was then that they began to separate this nobility from the 'Merchant Nobility'; this kind of nobility is more of a position; where whomever controls certain companies are given the titles of Baron or Baroness respectively. The purely lineage based or 'High Nobility' are given the titles of Duke or Duchess. The ruling body in Mantle is composed of nine members; known as Electors, seven of these are of the High Nobility; and two are of the Merchant Nobility."

She tapped some commands into the scroll, and the display shifted to a chart; which also included several names. She pointed to two of them; "As you can see, the current companies whose head are the Merchant Nobility Electors are Lasiren Aerial Manufactory and the Schnee Dust Company; both are relatively new in their positions. Currently, the Laisren Aerial Manufactory is controlled by the head of the board of directors: Jolak Hjarn. Schnee Dust Company is controlled by Nicholas Schnee; however, he is quite elderly at this point and it is surmised that the control of the company will soon pass to his son in-law: Jacques Schnee." She nodded to me, "Once you are recognized as the head of the company, the title of Baron may or may not fall upon you; depending on the company's standing at that point. Regardless, barring significant losses; it will likely still be considered a top company."

She shut off the scroll's display and walked back behind the desk; "Any questions?"

I raised my hand, "How are the Merchant Nobility selected?"

"They are nominated and selected by the High Nobility once they are worth a prerequisite amount of lien; usually in the ten to twenty billion range. Any other questions?"

We both shook our heads and Kyoko nodded sharply, "Alright, good. I'll let you two go for now; be ready at the sparring room thirty minutes from now."

* * *

That's pretty much how our normal days went; we would wake up early, eat breakfast; have lessons with Kyoko, sparring practice, then lessons with Keara, then lunch; lessons with Kyoko; and then we would have free time until dinner. We would then be tasked with a couple of chores around the house; then free time until bed. Rinse and repeat day in and day out; it actually took a long time for this to become a tad monotonous. The sense of simple routine was relaxing; almost intoxicating.

There were several times that this routine was disrupted. We left the house for walks whenever the maintenance crew came in each month; two large, dour men who did their work, then left; saying little. In addition; we would get breaks around the holiday seasons. Neo and I didn't get out much; as both of our caretakers stressed the need for us to stay under the radar. However, these restrictions became much looser around the holidays; and we tended to go on excursions as a group during those times. From seeing the plays at the Festival of Bachium in the summer; to the gifts and goodwill during the Festival of Life in the winter-time; we enjoyed it all as… well a family I suppose.

Particularly I remember our first Festival of Lights together like it was yesterday...


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks to TehGramerPolise for helping with this chapter.**

* * *

Journal Entry 265

Our first celebration of the Festival of Lights was about four months after we had started living together.

Oh, I guess before I continue my story you're expecting another peek into the brilliant mind of Remnant's singularly most attractive and spectacular criminal mastermind?

Fine here it is… you know all that garbage about Destiny and Fate, about how some great cosmic force has a plan for each and every one of us?

If that's true, then I got some cosmic-sized debts to pay, with a cosmic-sized gun.

There, you happy?

* * *

Anyway, as I was saying, Cola had just recently arrived back from Mantle, fulfilling his promise that he would visit after his business there was concluded. I was too young at the time to recognize the significance of the timing between the conclusion of his errand and the landmark legislation that was announced that allowed those outside the nobility to become officers in the military.

Trust me though, that will be important later in this story.

All the young me cared about was that he was there. The day that he arrived, there was a knock at the front door. Kyoko had looked up sharply, cutting off her lecture on the importance of the formation of the Fawkes Confederacy in the aftermath of the Great War. She then turned to me, and a hint of a smile appeared on her face, "Rowan, would you please get the door?"

I had stood up, confused at the interruption, but obeyed, and walked to the front door. I remembered at the last second to check the security cameras with my scroll; although, I realized as I did so that Kyoko had probably checked her scroll beforehand.

My heart beat excitedly as I saw the forms of Cola and Bayard standing on the doorstep, both wearing thick coats to ward off the freezing cold.

I pressed the button for the intercom, "What's the password?"

I saw Cola smile and lean forward, "The phoenix rises." he replied.

I grinned and walked to the front door and opened it, a chill wind blew through the open doorway and the two men stepped forward. Cola brushed the snow briskly off his coat and closed the door behind him. He looked down at me and his smile widened as he reached down and ruffled my hair.

"Hello Rowan! It's good to see you, my it appears Keara's been feeding you well. Ah, here she is now."

Keara stepped out into the hallway and bowed slightly, "It's good to see you sir."

Cola doffed his hat to her, "A pleasure to see you as well. Is there a place where I can hang my coat?"

Keara made a scoffing noise, "Knowing you, you know this house just as well as I do. So you tell me"

Cola chuckled and sure enough, walked up to a door in the hall to reveal a coat closet, "This is why I assigned Kyoko to teach you manners," he said to me with a wink as he straightened out the dark blue suit he wore under the coat,

In response I bowed to him, right hand on my heart, "Woh uani-jia, eneg zhufu hai ro tiankong." I said solemnly.

Cola looked at me in surprise then mimicked my movement, "Eneg taiyang ko musha yau-jia." he replied. He straightened and looked at me with approval in his eyes, "A task she seems to be performing quite well might I add, your old Mistralian is quite good."

I flushed slightly at this praise, suddenly Neo flew past me, "Mr. Cola!" she squealed in delight as she attached himself to his leg.

The giant man smiled, then made a show of looking around, "Rowan, have you seen Neopolitan around? I could've sworn I heard her, but I just can't seem to find her."

I desperately held back a grin and shook my head rapidly. Cola frowned in puzzlement and Neo giggled beneath him. "I'll see if she isn't over here…" he made a grand show of walking towards the hall, raising his long legs high to Neo's delight, who giggled as she held on tight to his leg as it rose and fell.

Keara rolled her eyes at this display, but I saw them twinkle slightly as she watched the scene unfold. Cola reached the hallway and looked to the side, "Kyoko, have you seen Neopolitan?" he asked, concern in his voice.

I heard Kyoko's voice reply but couldn't make out the words, whatever she said seemed to depress him and he walked over to the living room, where he sat down on the couch with a sigh. "No one's seen her?" he asked.

Bayard made a harrumphing noise, "No sir, haven't seen her at all." he replied, straight faced. Cola shook his head and suddenly began bouncing his knees rapidly. Neo held on valiantly, but eventually it was too much and she finally fell off, giggling madly on the ground.

Cola beamed as he saw her, "There she is!" he cried, he picked her up and hoisted her up into the air above his head.

"Hi, Mr. Cola!" she called out.

"High? You mean, you want to go higher?" he asked, and he stood up, raising her up as he did so, to the point where she was almost touching the ceiling.

"Cola sir, I have to inform you that I will quite cross with you if you put a hole in our roof with these antics." Keara remarked, but she was smiling as Cola lowered the girl down to face him.

He sighed, "Oh well then, I suppose we have to play something else." he informed Neo sadly, who pouted as he set her back down on the ground.

Kyoko entered the room with a tray holding a steaming pot and some tea cups. She placed the cups down on the table and poured the tea into them. Cola grabbed one of the cups and took a deep sip, he leaned back and sighed appreciatively. "Thank you Kyoko, that's very welcome on a cold night like this."

For a while we were all quiet as we enjoyed the wonderful tea, enjoying the warmth that spread through our bodies. Finally, Cola set down his cup and rubbed his massive palms together. "So!" he declared, "What game would like to play?" he addressed his question to Neo and myself. Eventually we settled on a variety of games, playing through a gauntlet of card and board games.

We had just finished a harrowing round of Charades, when Cola checked his watch. "Ah! Look at the time! Dress up for the cold everyone, we don't want to be late!" There was a flurry of activity as we all put on our thickest coats.

Suddenly Bayard cocked his head to the side and put his hand to his ear, he nodded slightly and voiced a quiet affirmative. He walked up to Cola and leaned in close, I made a show of busying myself in putting on winter gloves, listening intently.

"Sir, it's Belmorzh, he says he wants to talk about a shipping contract, class 12." Cola paused and I saw a calculating expression flit across his face. He opened his mouth to speak, then stopped abruptly as his eyes flickered over to me. I flushed as I turned to put on my winter coat, but listened closely for Cola's response...

"Tell him we can talk tomorrow." he replied gruffly.

"Sir, he says that it's urgent." Bayard insisted, "he's willing to pay double rate."

Cola sighed, "Refer this one out to Kuroi then, he'll appreciate the business, I'm busy tonight."

Bayard frowned, but nodded sharply and walked a few steps away, speaking quietly into his earpiece. I smiled as an indescribable warmth stole through me at Cola's decision. The large man chuckled as he ruffled my hair, "This is, after all, an auspicious night." I heard him murmur to himself as he walked past me to wait by the front door.

* * *

Soon afterwards we were walking down the sidewalk to the large limousine that was parked there. Bayard politely opened the door for us and we clambered inside. Bayard got into the driver's seat and checked his own watch before nodding sharply, "We shall arrive in roughly nine minutes and fifty-one seconds." he remarked before putting the car into gear and starting forward.

If you've never been to the Festival of Lights in Atlas or Solitas, I highly recommend that you do so before I obliterate everything via gunship and Grimm. The streets are teemed with lights that line the trees and the buildings. All of them the traditional colors of green and blue, twisted together into brilliant streams of light. It is the night that we celebrate the Northern Lights, the blue and green swirling colors that fill the night sky. On that night and indeed for a good couple of weeks afterward, Grimm hide deep in their holes, refusing to come out into the light of day or the dark of night. Many scientists have studied the phenomena, citing Aura, magnetism, even latent Dust crystal deposits in the sky.

However, on that night, even a few of them will whisper of the tale of Jack and the Star Maiden told in the Tale of the Four Knights, that compendium of legends from Remnant's forgotten past. The world of facts and figures lost for a night, to the wonder of song and legend.

It's a beautiful thing, and it makes me almost regret destroying the world.

Hey, I said _almost_.

* * *

We parked a ways out from the city center, Bayard neatly pulling into a conveniently empty parking space. Cola looked to his watch, "You're late Bayard." he remarked casually.

Bayard nodded slightly, "My apologies sir, I blinked 3.46 times more than anticipated." he unbuckled and walked around to the passenger door and opened it. We filed out onto the sidewalk, Neo and I froze and stared at the sheer amount of people that were walking by to a glowing point of light far off in the distance. Cola placed his hands on our shoulders, "Come, we should get to our seats."

We followed along, staring at the decorations and the glowing spot that grew larger and larger as we approached. Finally we gasped as the spot came into view.

It was a massive dome, the ACE Center, that's short for Acclimated Climate Event Center. It turns out that the high-brows of Atlas would never let a silly thing like winter cold stop them from celebrating a holiday or festival in full comfort. So they commissioned an enormous dome that essentially makes it a nice, steady temperature inside that stops any pesky things like snow or rain from getting in.

We entered inside and stared in disbelief, it was sunny and warm in the confines of the dome. Cola removed his coat and the rest of us hurriedly followed suit. Bayard collected them in a large suitcase that I only just realized he had brought with us from the car. There was a gigantic stage in front of what must have been thousands and thousands of seats, like a massive auditorium. Instead of walking towards these seats however, Cola guided us to one of a series of tower-like buildings that surrounded it.

We walked up to the base to find elevator doors, with a small key card reader to the side. Cola pulled out a card and swiped it, the doors opened and we filed inside. When we reached the top, we stepped out into box seats that screens of the main stage at every point. Cola walked over and sat down, gesturing for us to do the same.

Neo and I sat toward the front, we looked at the screens and then back to Cola, who arched an eyebrow at our confused expressions.

"Yes?" he asked us.

"Well, it's just that… why did we even come if we were just going to watch on screens anyway?" I asked.

He smiled and reached down to the side of his seat and pulled out a pair of strange goggles; he pointed at the side of my seat and I saw a pouch that held a similar such pair. He put his on, "Go ahead and put them on, twist the right dial forward to zoom in, the opposite direction to zoom out, push it once to reset it."

I did as he said and put them on, and gasped as the stage suddenly seemed to be right in front of me. I tugged them out from in front of my eyes and stared at Cola who smiled at my amazed expression.

"These are Mistral opera spectacles, they are essentially very powerful optic scopes that are synced to the stage to make such spectacles easier to view for the elite." Cola explained as he settled back in his chair. "You can press the button on the left eyepiece to call and dismiss a program for the night's events."

I did so and read quickly through the list; suddenly I felt an excited tug on my shoulder and I took off the goggles to see Neo staring at something on the goggles, her mouth open in delight.

"What's the Dance of Starlight?" she asked.

"It is an event where all of those who are of the ages between 16 and 18 may participate in a duos dance contest; traditionally one boy and one girl." answered Cola, "The winning two get to… well, I'll let that be a surprise, but they are declared the Jack and the Maiden of the Festival."

Neo turned to me and I was slightly perturbed at the intensity of her gaze; I turned my attention back to the goggles as a large man came to the stage.

"Welcome one and all, to the Festival of Lights!" he roared, the ground below erupted into cheers. When it quieted it down, the man spoke once more, "We come now this night, to celebrate life once more, as the foul Grimm fall back to the shadows. Let that celebration, commence!" the crowd roared to life once more as acrobats emerged onto the stage in flowing, vibrant colors.

* * *

The next few hours were a blur of acrobatics, plays, and songs. In particular one woman performed a fiery tune that made Keara applaud and whoop.

I admit that as a young man, even for such wonders and splendors such as these, my attention span was not quite up to the task of sitting for hours on end. I eventually was lulled into a bit of a trance, I was jolted awake, however, when Neo yanked on my arm.

"It's time for the dance!" she squealed. I focussed on the stage to see three men and three women standing still on the stage, dressed in a brilliant array of colors.

"That's not very many people." I remarked.

"The day before, the duos participating perform in front of judges, who select three of the pairs of contenders as finalists." Cola replied. "A panel of the judges and important persons from Atlas will then decide on the victors of the contest.

I watched as the first two stepped forward; the boy was dressed in a blue and red flowing robe, the girl in a deep red and green dress. Their dance was fast, their movements barely intelligible to my untrained eyes. The dance finished in a flurry and the crowd demonstrated their approval, their cheers echoing through the air.

The next two stepped forward, both were dressed in green and their dance was smooth and graceful, flowing across the stage. The crowd was more muted in their approval for this dance, yet the approval was there all the same. When the applause finally died down, the last two stepped forward.

I frowned as I saw the clothes of the boy and girl that stepped forward, they were ragged and bland; totally at odds of the two pairs that had gone before. I could see the crowd's confusion mirror my own; and a murmur swelled up from the ground. Then suddenly there was a flash and I was momentarily blinded, I heard the crowd scream and shout in shock.

When I had blinked the spots out of my eyes, I stared in disbelief and the crowd roared. The two had changed completely, the boy was dressed in a wild array of red and purple, the hues flowing in and out of each other. The girl was dressed in a river of blue and green, the calm colors a stark contrast to her partner. As one they burst into movement and I was transfixed at the flowing motion on the stage, I wasn't watching people dance, I was watching flashes of color and movement, a painting, a masterpiece even to my young eyes.

Finally the two fell still and for a time the crowd was silent; then it erupted with a deafening roar. I could practically feel the ground shake under the force of their approval. I saw the large man walk over to a table and discuss something with the people sitting there that I assumed were the judges. The conversation was short, and the large man walked back onto the stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen of Atlas! We have our winners!" he gestured grandly at the two dancers behind him, "May I present to you, Cesious and Azura, our Jack and Star Maiden!" The crowd roared and stamped its approval. The two bowed and hugged each other, besides themselves with exultation. The large man shook their hands, then dramatically pulled out a scroll and pressed a button. In the center of the stage, a large hole opened up, and a large lever emerged.

Cesious and Azura walked forward and placed their hands on the lever, then looked to the announcer. Who turned back to the crowd and held up his hand, "5!" he yelled out. "5!" the crowd chanted back at him. Behind me, I heard Keara chanting along, and I watched intently, curious what this could possibly culminate in.

"4! 3! 2! 1" On the final count, the two dancers pulled on the lever.

There was a massive grinding of gears and I looked up in astonishment to see the artificial sunny sky open up and I gasped in amazement.

Above our heads were the Northern Lights, the blue and green twisting along the sky, its light shone down upon us, tinting everything their calm and gentle colors. I felt a tug on my arm to see Neo regarding me seriously, "We are entering this and winning… promise me Rowan!" she demanded.

Under that light, at that wondrous time, I think I would've agreed to anything. I nodded, "I promise." I replied solemnly.

A massive smile grew on her face and she hugged me tight. I returned it gently as I stared up at the captivating display of colors overhead. It was there that I thanked whatever was out there that I was here, that I had survived that hell. That I had been lucky enough to be saved by this man who was smiling calmly behind me, that I was being raised by these women. One of whom was staring in awe up at the lights, the other of which was pulling out her scroll to snap a picture of us. I was grateful for everything, and I prayed that whatever was out there that I would be this happy forever.

See, I could understand if it had just said 'no', that would've been fine, I could live with that.

But whatever said 'no', whatever decided that the clock was now ticking on the amount of time little Rowan had to be happy. Whatever that thing is, it's apparently one hell of a sadist.

Because at the stroke of midnight, six years became 5 years and 364 days.


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks to TehGramerPolise for helping with this chapter, seriously, that first draft will never see the light of day.**

* * *

Journal Entry 273

It's been quite the culture shock going from Atlas to Vale… oh, I don't just mean the weather. I recognize I'm likely too young to be falling into this trope, but good help is so hard to find these days. The criminals in the frozen north were professionals, practically small armies in terms of discipline and power; which they essentially were. One has to realize that Solitas in its past had a lot of lawlessness to it, after all, it's a kingdom that formed from a collection of the most successful of those that were ambitious, or crazy enough to settle there.

After the Great War, you essentially had a bunch of military veterans flee to what essentially amounted to a amoral gentlemen's club of nobles and businessmen who were all fighting for power. In theory the ones that fell through the cracks were picked up by the crime lords that arose, after all, supply and demand for crime was very real. The scientists and wealthy of Atlas often wanted things that weren't exactly legal and they wanted it now. It started out with smuggling and moved soon into far larger game; the money was there, and an entire generation had the will and savvy to get it.

In reality however, I often found that it was these crime lords that got most of the top talent. As a kid, I always just kind of assumed that Cola was _the_ boss. After all, he wiped out the Wildcard Gang, the gang who had total control over my life for most of my existence in a single day. (Turns out he left a few loose ends, but I cleaned those up later.) So I naturally assumed he was the undisputed ruler of the criminal underworld of Solitas.

I was wrong, so very wrong.

Cola was a powerful man, but that meant he had powerful enemies, and those enemies were always circling, always looking for weakness. Considering what I know now, I'm quite frankly amazed at how he was able to keep his little red haired secret for so long.

Trust me, if there's anyone I can put my ego aside long enough to be in awe of, it's Cola Malaika. It was that sixth year, that year where my life took a drastic turn, that I would learn to put it aside to straight up fear another name…

What? You'll get to learn it when I did.

* * *

Journal Entry 274

Years passed in that time of blissful youth. It was in our fourth year that we discovered Neo's Semblance.

It was during the summer of that year, which in Solitas essentially just means that it's a moderately tolerable temperature if you wear long sleeves. However, never let it be said that the people of Atlas are willing to endure discomfort when their technology can say otherwise.

This takes the form of Environmental Control towers (EC tower for short), contraptions that essentially form zones of comfort on a scale smaller than the ACE Center, originally designed to help farmers, they were soon adapted to create public parks that were temperate most of the year round. Although when it snowed it would create a downpour, as the areas were deemed too large to have a cover overhead.

Our favorite picnic spot was one such park, Rothstein Park, a park that was sponsored by none other than the illustrious Lasiren Aerial Manufactory. It was a nice, lightly wooded area, with luscious green grass, with special walkways for the maintenance robots that constantly went to and fro to maintain the towers cunningly obscured by well placed greenery.

Lining the western edge of the park was a gigantic hill, that granted a breathtaking view of the Laisren's famous airship yards, it was Neo and I's favorite spot. After we had finished eating, we would wander over to it and settle down underneath a giant oak tree while Kyoko and Keara would rest and relax at the picnic site.

New or newly repaired airships would emerge every so often, soaring majestically in the sky. Funnily enough though, that wasn't what got our attention, rather it were the airships that arrived limping into the yards, more often than not, large pieces would be missing, gigantic holes riddling their hulls.

According to Kyoko, more often than not, it was Grimm or pirate attacks that did such damage. However, that didn't stop us from speculating.

"That one's pilot is just really awful at landing." said Neo as a ship with a huge scrape on its underside flew in.

"That had a huge flight of exploding birds sucked into its engines." I replied as a ship with three of its four huge wing turbine engines horribly mangled barely made it to a cleared out landing spot before it crashed heavily to the ground. We could see the tiny pieces of mechanical equipment swarm over it as its sole good engine slowly wound down.

"Bawk!" Neo mimicked the sound of a panicked bird and then spread her hands expansively, I chuckled and then mimed the panicked pilot. Neo's expression turned stern.

"Pilot Rowan, report!"

"Ma'am I don't know what happened! One moment there were a bunch of pretty red birds and then the next our engines were gone!" I said, a slight hint of panic in my voice.

"Red birds? Don't tell me you got too close to the Boom Chickens again!" She asked in exasperation.

"I can't help it Ma'am, they're just so-." I broke out of character, "Boom Chickens?" I asked, "you know chickens can't fly?"

She punched me on the shoulder, "And birds aren't explosive, maybe these chickens are filled with hydrogen or something."

We had promptly spent the rest of that afternoon discussing the viability of flying hydrogen filled chickens.

We had fun.

* * *

That day Cola joined us for our picnic, which was unusual, as apart from some of the holidays, his presence at the house had become increasingly rare. When I had asked him about it, he had grimaced and told me that his work in Mantle was becoming increasingly complicated. Historians may or may not also link these years as the beginning of the downfall of the Mantle nobility.

In any case, that day he was apparently free from any obligations, it was a beautiful day and Keara had used her best recipes that day, and we feasted until we were ready to pop.

"Ahhh." Cola sighed as he reclined, patting his stomach, "an excellent meal Keara." We all echoed the sentiment. After that we were all silent for a while as we recovered from the feast. Finally, Neo and I stood up, I bowed slightly to Cola, "If you don't mind, Neo and I will be over in our usual spot up on the hill."

Cola waved his hand dismissively, "Go ahead, I need to discuss matters with Keara and Kyoko anyway."

I nodded and we made the trek to the large oak tree on the hill. As we approached I frowned to see some of the large, bulky construction robots working on what appeared to be a new EC tower. It was some distance away from our spot so the only real issue would be the noise of the construction, I turned to Neo in an unspoken question. She shrugged in response and continued up the hill and I followed.

Soon we had made ourselves comfortable, watching the shipyard and speaking loudly to be heard over the work of the robotic construction crew.

"It looks like they're almost done anyway." I said, jerking my thumb at the construction, "they've got everything, they just need to get the main tower up and running."

Neo frowned as she looked over at it, "I don't see it over there. The foreman unit must be bringing it over soon."

I glanced over and frowned, "That's kind of odd." I remarked, "I don't think those models are supposed to be able to operate without a foreman model present."

Neo looked at them, then shrugged, "Maybe they upgraded the software?" she asked.

I shook my head, "It's not really a software issue, it's the hardware, it's cheaper to have a long range transmitter on the one foreman for the orders, keeps the others slimmer and can have more hydraulics for the manual labor."

Neo smiled, "At that point is it manual? Or automatic labor?"

I rolled my eyes and turned to deliver my own quip in reply when I saw movement out of the corner of my eye. I turned my gaze to see the foreman robot coming up to the EC tower, and as soon as I did I felt the hair stand up on the back of my neck. I couldn't quite place the source of my discomfort when Neo spoke in a low whisper as she started to stand up beside me, "the track… it's not on the track."

I looked at the foreman to see that it was in fact, just moving across the grass, leaving tracks deep in the earth from its weight. I stood up and stared as the foreman rolled up to the construction site. It began emitting a series of beeps and whistles as it transmitted data to the construction robots. Suddenly they all paused and as one, directed their gaze up to where we were standing.

"Uh… Rowan?" Neo asked.

"Yeah, run." I replied.

We began to dash our way down the slope when the posse of robots began rolling forward, they may have been over a meter taller than a grown man and twice the width, but when those things want to move, they can really move. They cut us off and began surrounding us and we came to a sliding halt.

"So uh… plan B?" Neo asked.

I ground my teeth as I examined the robots, I shifted slightly and noted the way that the robots followed my movements with their optical sensors.

"Okay, so they might be only going for me… if I create a distraction, you can get he-." I began.

She snorted, "I am not falling victim to that cliche, I already sent out the distress signal on my scroll."

I turned red, I had forgotten my scroll back at the picnic, so that hadn't occurred to me. "Okay then, we stall until they get here."

The robots began menacingly trundling forward. Neo let out a deep breath, "Alright, here's how it's gonna go, we're going to have to try to fight our way out and get to the others."

I glanced over at Neo, somewhat bemused by how assertive she was being even as what she said chilled me as I stared at the massive robots that were even now rolling forward on their massive treads. She was right though, they weren't going to just let us go.

"Alright, first thing's first then, we need some weapons." Neo pointed to where the rogue robots had been building the EC tower and I saw bulky rods of metal that were intended to be welded to the tower to support it. "That'll work." I replied.

I took a deep breath, "Ready?"

"Ready." she affirmed.

I said nothing else, but shifted and threw myself toward a gap between two of the robots, they weren't very agile and so I was barely able to twist my way through their grasping arms. I hit the ground and kept running, Neo ran ahead of me and grabbed one of the large metal pieces and tore her dress and twirled the cloth around the hand holding the rod. As I ran up she grabbed another piece and tossed it to me.

I looked at the cloth strip that helped her hold the metal club, then looked down at my own shirt and hesitated. Neo let out an impatient huff, I blushed and ripped the lovely pale green shirt and quickly copied her improvised hand grip.

I turned to the robots just in time to see them rolling up to us, the lead one held a metallic claw high and swung it in an overhead slam. We barely dodged it and moved as one, slamming our improvised weapons on any weak point we could find.

The lead robot's arms went limp as we broke the hydraulic joints and we moved on, content to leave it mostly disabled.

I jumped onto the top of the next robot's treads and I swung my club into its optical sensors, shattering them in an explosion of glass. I dodged around its clumsy swings and my gaze landed upon the foreman robot, which had held back from the initial rush, its sensors swinging to follow our movements.

"Go for the foreman!" I yelled to Neo, I jumped down from vantage point, twisting and dodging as the robots drills and claws missed by a hair. I blinked as I saw Neo slam into the robot in front of me, her mouth open as she screamed a war cry, rather than bouncing off of it as I expect most of the time a human being collides with several tons of metal, the robot practically flipped and slammed on its side, where it struggled feebly.

"What in the-" I began but I didn't finish the sentence as I dove under another set of massive reaching claws and shot through the opening, my eyes fixed on the foreman.

It's optical sensors tracked me and as I got close it raised its arms, my eyes widened as I saw the hands shift and form into strange metal tubes.

I threw myself to the side and suddenly crimson flame shot out of the tubes, scorching the grass where I had been standing. I gulped nervously, but didn't' slow raising my club overhead as I got close.

Neo beat me to it and she let out a feral yell as she swung her club in movements too fast to follow. I heard the sound of metal screeching and twisting, my eyes widened as actual _dents_ started appearing in the metal casing.

I rolled as the foreman swung its arm at me and jumped up onto it, desperately searching for… there! The bulky box that contained its communication array was right on its back, between the shoulders. I jumped and swung, grunting at the impact as the blow connected, I struck once, twice, and sparks began to fly as the thin metal began to crumple.

I glanced up to see the other robots stopping in their tracks, their arms freezing in place as their fail-safes kicked in, as they detected the feed from the foreman suddenly cut off. I sighed in relief, I wasn't sure if that failsafe had been intact, as they had been operating without it being present before. It was likely that whoever had tampered with the bots had simply upgraded the range on the communications array.

I was so relieved that I didn't notice as a massive metal arm swung to backhand me off of the robot. I was sent flying, my chest flared with pain and I gasped as I slammed into the ground. My whole world was spinning, I tried to get up, but couldn't get my muscles to respond.

The foreman bot moved toward me, its optical sensors fixated on me, I saw Neo desperately slam her club over and over into the machine, aiming her fury mostly at its treads.

It halted abruptly and Neo yelled in triumph as her efforts paid off and the treads ground to a halt as the wheels shattered. The robot paused for a moment, then ponderously, it swung its arms towards me and I desperately renewed my efforts to get up as it began to tilt. It fell over, casting a massive shadow as its rapidly approaching form filled my vision. I wasn't going to get out of the way in time…

Suddenly I felt a rush of air and Neo was beside me, her pink and black eyes wide, I opened my mouth to tell her to leave me, to save herself, but then choked them back as the scenery around us blurred. Suddenly I saw looking up at the boughs of the oak tree, I stared and we froze like that for a moment, Neo holding me in her arms. She lowered me to the ground softly and stared at her hands.

"What…" I coughed, "what was that?"

"That was a Semblance." Cola's voice rung out across the clearing.

My gaze flashed over to see the large man casually walking out of the shrubbery, a short man with frizzy hair walked beside him, a long furry tail swishing behind him. Behind them followed a tall blonde woman. I frowned as my gaze shifted to the foreman robot, my eyes widened as I saw that it had stopped its fall, its two arms stretched out, digging deep into the earth to the sides of… what looked like Neo and I.

I blinked and stared, it was like a three dimensional picture of Neo scooping me up into her arms where I lay injured, her eyes closed in fierce concentration.

Cola considered it, then tapped it lightly with his cane, the image shattered into a thousand pieces to drift away into nothing. He frowned and then turned his gaze to the man beside him.

"Cut it a little close there, Hoku." Cola remarked to the man beside him.

Hoku grinned and shrugged, "They're alive aren't they?" he replied.

"Hmm…" Cola began walking up to us, "Your payment is already in your account, you may depart." he said, his voice hard.

I saw Hoku's smug expression waver slightly as he bowed, he turned abruptly and walked off into the forest.

Cola walked up and bent over me, "Dawn!" he called. The blond woman stepped up beside him. "Check his injuries, get him patched up." he ordered. The woman nodded and knelt beside me, her hands reaching towards my chest. Suddenly Neo moved and slapped them away, her eyes wild. The woman froze, holding up her hands in a gesture of peace, she turned her eyes uncertainly to the large man who stood unmoving with his cane, his expression utterly blank.

"Neopolitan, calm down." Cola said forcefully, "Dawn has a healing semblance, she's here to help." I recoiled slightly as I felt a strange feeling of well-being wash over me, Cola's Semblance, I realized. Neo blinked once, then shook herself, she nodded stiffly and Dawn once more reached her hands out to rest on my chest.

She closed her eyes in concentration and then shook her head, "Heavily bruised… two cracked ribs, it will just be a second." I gasped as a strange feeling crawled over my skin, as though a thousand insects were moving just beneath the surface. Then I blinked in surprise as the pain vanished, the woman lifted her hands and smiled at me. She stood up and brushed the grass off of her pants, then turned to face Cola, who was talking into an earpiece.

"Squad 7, report." Cola listened intently then nodded, "Good, cover us as we move to the car, we'll be returning to the Gull's Nest to drop off the package, Squad 6 will move in support, have Squad 3 cover the route to Gull's Nest, I'll be sending Dawn. Keara, Kyoko, you are to meet with us at the car and join us, test was successful and mama bear has honey, repeat, mama bear has honey." He lowered his hand from his ear and turned to Dawn, who nodded sharply and walked off into the forest, once she was out of sight, Cola turned to us.

"I apologize, but I'll have to explain as we move, I would prefer not to speak with authorities onto why some of the park's robots have suffered critical damage, as well as evidence of severe tampering."

We followed him to the car in silence, I had never seen him so alert, his gaze roamed left and right constantly as he took a roundabout way back to the car. Finally we arrived to find Keara standing next to Bayard, smoking a cigarette. When she saw us I saw relief flood into her features, but she simply nodded at us and slid into the back seat of the car. We followed her example and Bayard closed the door sharply behind us before climbing into the driver's seat beside Cola.

"We will arrive at Sea Reach house in approximately 12 minutes, 32 seconds." I fumbled slightly with my seatbelt and I saw him glance in the rear view mirror, "38 seconds." he corrected, then put the car into gear.

The car was silent, then Cola twisted around to face us. "I apologize about all of this." he said.

"You said the test was successful… was all of that really just a test?" I asked.

Cola nodded, "Keara told us a couple of months ago that she suspected Neopolitan possessed a Semblance. However, she eventually deemed that it was unlikely that it would manifest itself outside of a scenario more extreme than simply sparring." I glanced over at Keara, who nodded in response.

"So I hired Hoku, who possesses a technopathic Semblance and a great deal of mechanical know-how in order to conduct a test." He looked me in the eyes, "I'm sorry, but for obvious reasons, it had to feel real… however I must stress that you were never in real danger. I still humbly beg your forgiveness for the deception." I nodded, though it was more of a numbed involuntary reaction than anything else.

He seemed to take that as a bit of a pardon of his actions and he nodded to Neo with a slight smile. "We will likely have to adjust your training schedule." he mused. "Neopolitan's training shall be more focussed on martial studies, and we shall accelerate your scholastic and cultural training."

We passed the rest of the car ride in silence, finally we arrived at the house and got out of the car.

Kyoko patted me on the shoulder, "You guys have the rest of the day off, go ahead and relax."

We nodded and walked to the door, Cola tipped his bowler hat to us, "I'm afraid that this is all the time I have to spare here. Thank you very much for the meal Keara and for your company as always, Kyoko, Rowan, Neopolitan." He turned to each of us in turn with a slight bow of his head. He stepped into the car with Bayard and the two drove off, Neo and I opened the front door and walked inside.

* * *

We were silent as we flopped onto our respective beds, we laid still for a long time, each trapped in our own I rolled over to face her, "So what was it like?" I asked.

"It was… weird," she frowned as she tried to explain herself, "it was like for a moment, I saw everything and I could… shift things, just by pulling at them a little."

I shook my head, "That's amazing Neo!" I said.

Neo nodded happily, staring at her hands, then she looked up and grinned, "You know what this means right?" she asked me.

I frowned and shook my head.

"Now that I have a Semblance, it means that I can be like those yojimbo, the fancy bodyguards to lords and ladies in Mistral that Kyoko talked about in that lecture." she gushed excitedly. "I'll be _your_ yojimbo Rowan!"

I grinned, "As long as you're always there to brighten my world Neo." I said in response.

"But now I can brighten someone's face too!"

I frowned, "I don't think it works like that."

She pouted, "You know what I mean." she said with a huff.

I laughed, and flopped down onto the bed, wincing as my bruises ached. I frowned as I thought about the almost desperate nature of her conviction. Then it came to me in a flash, and I glanced at her to see her sitting up, her expression thoughtful.

She was worried about being left behind.

It had been an issue that Kyoko and Keara had mostly glanced over. When I was old enough, I would be expected to mingle with the mighty and wealthy of Mantle and Atlesian society; after all, I would be inheriting one of the most successful businesses on the continent.

Neo had no such position.

I frowned as I mulled it over, there would always be whispers about her, a commoner who didn't deserve to be in the room. I thought about how Kyoko described the courts of nobility with a sinking heart, she would always be a weak point to be attacked for my enemies.

As a bodyguard however, she would be under much less social pressure, I thought about the near desperation I had seen in her eyes and heard in her voice. This was the one way she could think of to ensure that she could be beside me and not be a burden, but rather a boon.

Suddenly, the way she had applied herself to the sparring training over the years made sense. She had always been naturally talented at fighting, moving with a speed and grace that I could never match. However, in our second year, something had changed, she had started training hard, going to the sparring room to train even outside of our normal practice times. When I had asked her about it, she had been evasive, joking about how a training dummy had looked at her funny. I mean, if it really was the case, how the hell was she supposed to say that she feared that it was the only way for us to stay together when I began anteing up at the power games of the elite?

That very thought made me sick, the fact that she had ever believed that she wouldn't have a place in my life simply because of her birth. I turned over to say something, but nothing came, no matter how hard I struggled to think of something, _anything_ , to put her at ease, to reassure her.

Finally, I rolled over to stare at the wall, feeling frustrated, tired… defeated.

"Hey Rowan?" Neo said.

"Hmmm?" I replied.

"Wasn't there a famous yojimbo who had an umbrella?" she asked.

"Lady Lucia, during the Great War, a councilman from Vale was visiting Mistral to discuss peace talks. Assassins from the pro-war faction attempted to kill him, Lady Lucia, armed with only a steel-reinforced umbrella, defeated them. This saved the councilman's life and historians have said that the war likely would have lasted at least five more years had they been successful. Lady Lucia then swore herself as his yojimbo during his stay to ensure that no further such sabotage would be committed." I answered mechanically.

She giggled, "I want an umbrella." she decided, "I'll be a lady-like yojimbo."

I chuckled slightly at that, feeling some of my dark mood lifting. I closed my eyes and finally succumbed to exhaustion.

* * *

Just as Cola had said, our schedules changed at that point, we now had separate lessons, while one of us would be with Kyoko, the other would be with Keara and vice versa. My learning accelerated rapidly, much as Kyoko's fighting skills did. We would spend all of our free time together, she physically exhausted from her sparring lessons, I mentally from my scholastic and etiquette lessons. Sometimes I would read to her out of a story, but more often than not we would just sit on the couch in a comfortable daze, simply enjoying each others company.

Finally after an eternity of happiness we reached that fateful sixth year.

When the Festival of Lights was a few months away, we got time off in our schedule for Kyoko to talk with us.

"So you two wished to enter the Dance of Starlight competition, correct?" She asked without preamble.

We had both nodded, Neo had consistently kept dropping hints about it whenever she could, but it still seemed like such a long time away.

She considered us for a moment, "Keara has agreed to forgo some of her lessons in order to accommodate time for dance lessons." She gave an expression of distaste, "In exchange however, she demanded that she be allowed to recommend some of the dances from her island home. I will say that while the novelty might earn you approval with the crowd, the judges will certainly be looking for elements of more… traditional… dances in your routine."

"They are traditional!" protested Keara from the entryway, "They've been around just as long as your nancy-fancy 'proper' dancing!"

Kyoko sighed, "Just get on with it."

Keara rubbed her palms together and pressed a button on her scroll, and a screen projected from it onto the wall.

"This first dance is known as Fox sa garran, 'Fox in the Grove'." she tapped a button and a video played of people doing what I can only politely describing as flailing, the moves were drunken and erratic, which was likely explained by the giant barrels that could be seen in the background. Kyoko, Neo and I collectively stared at the screen, then turned our gaze to Keara. Who rolled her eyes, "Fine, fine, then here's another one, Mac Tíre i sholas na Gealaí, 'Wolf in the Moonlight'." This looked only slightly more coordinated than the last, however, it had no real elegance to it, and my mind flashed to the first Dance of Starlight that I had seen all those years ago. I shook my

It went on like this for roughly an hour, until finally Keara winked at us, "Alright, I admit, I've been having you lot on… this one I think you'll be excited for."

At this point, we were far past interest and could only try our best to be politely intrigued by each offering, even with that kind of introduction.

However, as the video played on the screen, we sat up in interest. There was a large semi-transparent wall, with a bright light shining from behind it. As we watched, a man and a woman dressed in flowing robes walked onto the stage and behind the screen. They then began to move flowingly behind the screen; and my eyes widened as I saw that the shadows had a kind of… after effect, staying for a split second after the dancer had passed. "The screen is special," Keara replied when I asked about it. "Don't ask me quite how, but from what I understand, it has something to do with the light's interaction with the screen, that's how you get that, 'trail'".

We watched, entranced, the dance was flowing and elegant, the dancers seemed to slide from one position to the next, allowing brief pauses at times to allow the silhouette to catch up. I glanced over at Neo and saw that she was staring, enraptured at the dance as it unfolded. She turned her gaze to me and our eyes met as she nodded, I returned the gesture in silent agreement and we turned our attention back to the dance on the screen.

When the dance finally ended, the two dancers lowering themselves to kneel behind the screen;. Keara spoke, "Ach, I love a well danced 'Damsha na Scathanna'." She remarked. She blew her nose loudly, then continued, "See, I've got an idea with that Semblance of yours Neo."

She explained her idea and at the end of it, we agreed enthusiastically.

* * *

We practiced for hours on end under Kyoko's guidance.

"Rowan, it's kick, then spin!" Kyoko screamed at me as I nearly collided with Neo.

It was slow-going at first…

Finally, around a month away, our routine was finally nearly perfect, and it was then that Kyoko had a surprise with us. One day after practice, she clapped her hands and smiled at us.

"Get on your winter clothes, we're going on an errand." she told us crisply.

She drove us to the city center, along the winding streets, until we finally came to a gigantic store. Elegant dresses and suits of every color and make was in the glass windows. Even as we walked to its entrance, we saw wealthy men and women moving in and out of its doors.

I gulped nervously, self-conscious of our rather plain clothes in the face of all this pomp and splendor. Kyoko held herself tall and proud, weaving through the crowd smoothly. We entered the store and for a second I simply stared. The entire place was like a factory, men and women with needles, wheels of thread, and fabrics were bustling to and fro. Men and women wore extravagant clothes and examined themselves in mirrors, or were being examined and fitted by the tailors.

This is where I think my first love of fashion began to bloom. Sure I had seen pictures and read of the elegant styles of the elite in our classes with Kyoko. It was an entirely different matter however, to see it in the flesh. To see the flowing silk and vibrant colors that were the result of expert craftsmanship and vision. It felt almost a little scandalous to be in the very building where even the most plain of men and women were transformed into the visages of high society, to be envied by all of those below their station and in a silent competition of taste and wealth with their peers.

Kyoko walked through through the throng ahead, cutting through it like a blade through grass. We followed closely behind her, until finally we emerged to stand in front of a small desk that stood like an eye in the storm. The secretary seated there calmly looked up at us and raised an eyebrow.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

"I would like to see Odell, Odell Mariano." she told him.

The man's single raised eyebrow seemed to lift itself even further, "And whom may I say is asking for him?" he asked.

"Kyoko Torikusu," she replied.

I saw the man's eyes widen slightly at the name and he bowed at the waist as he walked stiffly beyond a curtain behind the desk.

It wasn't long before a tall, spindly man with dark-blonde hair emerged, his face in a wide smile.

"Kyoko darling!" he enthused as he walked up to us. "How have you been?! It's been far too long my dear, far too long."

Kyoko smiled and bowed slightly, "Odell, always a pleasure."

Odell took her hand and gently brushed his lips against the back of it, "The pleasure is all mine, all mine, I assure you that I-." he stopped and looked at us, frowning. "Why Kyoko, these two children wouldn't be with you would they?" Before she could speak a word, he leaned over and grabbed my chin, looking me intensely.

"Hmmm… lovely hair… that face is a little sharp, but we could use that…" he turned to Neo and his eyebrows shot up. "Hmmm… petite… but strong… oh look at your eyes! That's lovely! Maybe we could..."

Kyoko cleared her throat, "Yes, I wanted to commission a dress and robes for these two for-."

"The Dance of Starlight?" Odell asked, cutting her off, as he continued examining us.

"Well, um… yes." Kyoko said lamely.

The man snapped his fingers, and leaned on his back foot as he eyed us critically.

"Hmmm… yes, yes I could work with this. You said robes and dress, so I'm guessing a more flowing dance? Never mind that darling, do you think they're ready?" he glanced over at her sharply.

I felt a tinge of pride as she didn't even hesitate in nodding to the man.

He smiled, "Well, a recommendation from the winner of six different intercontinental dancing competitions is not something to take lightly." he said as he turned back to the curtain, I glanced over to see Kyoko blush slightly. "I'll do it as a favor to you darling. Come, come, we shall retire to my private studio." The man walked behind the curtain and we followed.

"You didn't tell us you were a famous dancer Miss Kyoko!" said Neo, her eyes bright with awe.

Kyoko smiled, "It was a long time ago, Neopolitan." she said, and I saw a sadness in her eyes. We followed the man behind the curtain and through a series of hallways until we reached a large wooden door.

"Right in here, after you, please after you." Odell held the door open for us while we filed inside, and then gently closed it behind us. "Alright, who first? You, with the red hair, come on up and let's work some magic already!"

I nervously stepped up to a raised wooden circle in the center of the room, it was surrounded by mirrors and strange cabinets and wardrobes. Odell reached into one of these and pulled out a tape measure. "Let's see here…. Hmmm…. Ummm-hmmm… very good proportions, I must say." he closed it and pulled out a pad of paper and pencil, which he used to scrawl down some notes.

Catching me staring at the pencil and paper, he grinned, "I'm afraid I'm rather old-fashioned in many respects." he admitted. He then pulled out some fabric and a variety of pins, "Hmmm… let's see here… Marillo!" A small, spectacled man opened the door and peered inside. "Be a dear and get me the Green Portico 4 would you?" the man nodded and slipped out into the hall.

A few seconds later, there was a knock at the door and he entered with a great and voluminous robe. I gawked as the man brought it to Odell, carrying it as a prince might a princess. The light played off of the many hues and shades of green, from a deep emerald, to a light lime.

Odell took it from the man's arms and wrapped it around me, he tapped his chin, deep in thought as he considered ,me, "Hmmm… yes… yes… that works quite well with the hair… we'll run with it." he pulled out a large stack of needles and began swiftly tucking and pinning the robes, fitting it around me.

"Ow!" I hissed slightly as a needle pricked my skin.

"Oh I'm sorry dear!" Odell said and quickly adjusted the arm that he had been working on. "I get carried away sometimes, there!"

He swept back and clasped his hands together, "What do you think?" he asked and he pushed a button on the side of the wall. A circle of mirrors began shifting and forming around me and I gasped.

It was gorgeous, I twisted and turned, admiring the way that the robes did little to restrict my movements despite its large size.

"It's fantastic!" I told him.

Odell rolled his eyes, "Of course darling, of course it's fantastic, it's me. Now c'mon, next, next, next. Marillo! Package up that robe for him."

The bespectacled man gently helped me remove the robes and reverently folded them into a box at his feet.

Neo swapped places with me, prancing up excitedly onto the circle.

"Hmmm... yes… yes… Marillo! Get the Blue Moonlight 6! Chop chop!"

The bespectacled man left the room and entered with a blue and silver dress that flowed magnificently in his arms. Before he could even get close however, Odell suddenly flung out his hands, "No, no, no, no! Get that piece of filth away, GO!"

Marillo didn't even miss a step, but whirled around and walked out of the room.

"Hmmm… maybe something a tad less traditional." Odell clapped his eyes and Marillo peered into the room, "Sunlight Sonata 11." He commanded.

Marillo emerged a few seconds later with a bright orange and yellow dress that seemed to dance and flow as the light shifted over it.

This too however, Odell rejected before Marillo could even step up to the circle. "What is _this?!_ Get that out of here!"

Once more Marillo turned around and walked out the door. Odell began pacing around Neo, his face intense. "Hmm… no… maybe… no… yes?" He stopped and ran a hand through his long hair.

"Marillo."

The bespectacled man quirked an eyebrow in anticipation.

"Bring me… the Burbuja de Helado 2."

Marillo's eyes widened, and he glanced at Neo before nodding thoughtfully, he disappeared and returned a few minutes later.

I barely had a chance to see the mass of fabric in his arms before Odell pounced upon him, he took the fabric and darted over to Neo, throwing it over her shoulders and then rapidly adjusting it about her frame. He finally gave a sigh of pleasure, then stepped aside.

I gasped, it was a flowing dress of pink and light blue that swirled together in marvelous designs; accentuating the colors of her hair and eyes perfectly. My heart beat a little faster as she did a twirl, examining herself in the mirror.

"Ah! There we are dear, it's perfect! I'm always perfect aren't I Marillo?" Odell preened as he gathered the pins to size the dress to Neo's frame.

The bespectacled man looked meaningfully at me and rolled his eyes, I barely managed to hold back a laugh in response.

Odell fussed over Neo for another hour, carefully adjusting the dress to fit her. Finally he backed off and nodded sharply, removing the garment, he gave it to Marillo to package up.

"Alright then, do be sure to do well at the dance would you? It is ever so important to my reputation after all." He chattered at us as we went back to the desk in the main lobby. Once there, Kyoko pulled out a card to pay him, but he waved it away, "Oh no darling! First of all, it's for you. Second, I do so hope this marks the first of many young pupils that you bring to my shop!" He waved off her protests. "Come on, really darling! It would not do for me to take money from the dancer who put my name on the map, now would it?" He smiled at us and escorted us out the door.

"Good luck you two!" He called out to us as we began the walk back to the car.

Once we were out of earshot I leaned over, "What did he mean by that?"

Kyoko blushed slightly, "When he was just starting out, I commissioned a dress and suit for the Dance of Starlight. My partner and I won, and it brought a lot of attention to Odell's products, he's been a rising star ever since."

Neo cocked her head, "Who did you dance with?" she asked.

Kyoko's expression darkened briefly, "It was someone that I knew long ago, but he and I… well… we went our separate ways." She shook her head, "It's not important, now, we should get back and start practicing in the new clothes!"

And practice we did, hour after hour, day after day. Until finally, the day of the qualifications arrived.

We didn't even have to show our hand that day, Kyoko had taught us well, and thus we had only to merely imply that we also had something special planned for the day of. Sometimes I wonder if Cola had a hand in that. He probably did, but I like to think that he only levelled the playing field for us.

Then the day of the Festival of Lights finally came, somehow I think we knew it was going to be a fateful day, we just didn't know why, nor could we even suspect.

I do now, six years were up.


	8. Chapter 8

Journal Entry 275

I guess it was that day in the park with Cola's test that it really occurred to me that I could be in danger. Sure logically I knew that, but it hadn't really hit home until then that I could be a target. Unfortunately it wasn't really the wake up call that it probably should've been. Then again, it's probably unfair to expect even one such as myself to see the subtle signs that my idyllic life was about to vanish. Murdered in cold blood

You see dear reader, our particular traitor that is going to topple Cola's house of cards has already been introduced, Mrs. White is in the ballroom and she's lifting up the candlestick.

The stage is set for a tragedy and now I shall oblige...

* * *

We drove for the ACE Center early in the morning the day of the Festival of Lights. Neo and I were silent in the back seat, Kyoko occasionally glanced in the rearview mirror as she drove. Finally as we pulled into a parking space, she turned to us, "I know you both are nervous right now, and you have every right to be." She smiled slightly, "I can tell you right now though that bottling it up is not going to do you any good, you two are partners, communication is key and clamming up on each other now will mean disaster later."

We stared at her for a moment, then turned to each other. "Hey, Neo started it." I protested weakly.

Neo snorted, "Please, we both know I'm the talkative one, but you still have to give me something to work with."

Despite how forced that banter was, it broke that seemingly impossible barrier that our worries and fears had been building up. We chatted back and forth as we walked from the car, Kyoko smiling and chiming in with a few remarks whenever we faltered. By the time we reached the ACE Center doors, we had achieved some form of our usual level of repartee.

We walked in to see several other figures already standing on stage, a large man that I recognized as the announcer that I had seen at the Festival of Lights previous walked up to us. He bowed slightly, "Hello, you must be our last pair of finalists, my name is Beryl, Beryl Flintfeather." He extended a hand to indicate the stage, "Please wait for just a moment up there, I'll be making an announcement shortly."

We nodded and walked up to the stage to the left of the others, I glanced over quickly at our competition. The ones furthest us were a tall boy and girl, the boy had short blonde hair and the girl long black hair, both with the same passive expression.

Next to us were a far more exotic looking pair, they looked like they were twins, both had long silver hair that fell below their shoulders. The girl caught my gaze and grinned, my eyes widened as I saw sharpened teeth and noticed her cat-like eyes.

"Those two are Faunus." I whispered to Neo.

Kyoko leaned in close, "From their characteristics, can you guess which family they're from?"

I thought quickly back to my lessons, "The Rashin family, owners of Rashin Technologies, they operate the Cross Continental Transmit System, as well as several large robotic production facilities. They are currently contenders for taking the Merchant Nobility Elector position from the Laisren family." I rattled off quietly. Kyoko smiled and nodded, satisfied at my answer.

Just then, Beryl strutted up onto the stage to face us, "All right then, now that we're all gathered here, let me go over the night's proceedings. Each of you will have two hours scheduled in order to get accommodated to the stage boundaries. First shall be the Marigold representatives." He nodded to the blonde boy and black haired girl. "Next shall be the Rashin representatives." He pivoted on his foot to face us, "Then shall be our mysterious unsponsored challengers." He smiled and rubbed his palms together, "I always enjoy such intrigue myself, it adds a bit of flair to the narrative."

He looked at his watch, "The time is currently 7:58, at 8:00, the other contestants may do whatever they wish until their appointed time slot while the Marigold representatives practice." He nodded sharply at each of the contestants in turn, "Starting at 23:00, the dances shall begin in the same order as the practice slots, all contestants are to check in with me by 22:30, or else they shall forfeit and withdraw from the competition. The victor will be decided by the judge panel, at which point they shall be called on stage to pull the lever and thus be declared Jack and the Star Maiden of the Festival. Are there any questions?"

All gathered were either silent or shook their heads. Kyoko tapped us on the shoulders and beckoned as she walked off the stage. We followed her outside and once we were some distance away she turned to us.

"All right, now just because we're not on the stage doesn't mean we can't practice, let's go!"

* * *

She had kept us at variety of exercises, mostly I suspect, to keep us distracted and moving. However, all too soon, we were standing backstage, staring numbly as the Marigolds performed a traditional Atlesian dance out on the stage.

Kyoko's last bit of advice echoed through my mind, we had walked to the backstage entrance, and she had us each one last pat on the back, "I have to go now." She had bent down and hugged us fiercely, "I'm so proud of you two." She said simply, "Whatever you do, don't leave any regrets, leave everything out there on the stage. You've worked hard, this is the payoff, no matter the result."

She looked over at Neo, "And Neopolitan… don't overexert yourself, if you need to cut it short, it's not worth risking injury, okay?" Neo had nodded, determined. Kyoko smiled one last time, then had left us standing uncomfortably with the other contestants.

The two dancers bowed to the audience as they completed their dance, there was a long applause in appreciation, but the two came back looking disatisfied. Suddenly the boy turned on the girl, "What was that? You totally messed up on the slide step!" he accused.

The girl snorted in reply, "I messed up?! You always go too fast! It ruins the timing!"

The two stood there bickering for a time until finally the boy stormed off in a rage, the girl stood there for a moment, then stamped her foot and took off in the opposite direction.

Neo turned to me, "Do Marigold flowers have thorns?" she asked.

"No, that's ridiculous." I murmured my eyes fixated on the screen backstage as the Rashins bowed to the audience, about to begin their dance.

I heard a huff and I turned to see that Neo was pouting at me. I grimaced as I realized it was supposed to be a joke.

"Oh right, thorns… yeah." She didn't let me off the hook though and rolled her eyes expressively at me. I rubbed the back of my neck, trying to come up with anything to try to lighten the mood, but my mind was blank and eventually I just turned my gaze back to the screen.

I frowned to see that the stage was completely dark, then gasped as lightning arced in great currents of blue and white energy. The light cast eerie shadows onto the two as it illuminated the stage.

They flowed past each other, twisting and spinning as the deadly energy crackled between them. The dance culminated in a great flash of light as they extinguished the lightning and clasped their hands together in a bow.

My heart sank as the crowd burst into a roar of applause, I didn't turn around as the two walked backstage, their confidence oozing off of them in waves. Neo was similarly still, her head held between her knees on her chair.

Beryl walked backstage, "Alright my mysterious duo, you're up."

We numbly followed the large man into a winding passage that ended right before the stage itself. I stared at the stage, feeling the weight of the pressure building up, how were we supposed to compete with that, what happened if we failed? What if _I_ failed horribly, it would crush Neo, it would…

Suddenly beside me, Beryl let out a long sigh. I gave a start at the unexpected sound and turned to the man, he winked at me.

"Sorry, it's been a long day; you'll forgive me if I wait here just a bit to recover, yes?" He made a show of stretching, "I find that at times like these, putting things in perspective helps me greatly." He told me as I continued to stare at him. He pursed his lips thoughtfully as he looked out at the crowd, "You know, the Rashin have done that almost every year." he mused. "Sure it's entertaining, but it probably gets a little stale for a crowd year after year." He nodded to himself, "Yes indeed, maybe, just maybe a mysterious duo could just take it, particularly if they were trained by Kyoko Torikusu herself, a champion many times over."

He leaned in close in, "Any two dancers that earned her confidence to enter a competition such as this must be truly skilled." he whispered conspiratorially. "Knowing her, she said something about doing their best and having no regrets." He winked at me, "Leave it all out there on the stage young man." He gestured grandly, "After all, life's a stage, we are merely players, all we can do is play our part and enjoy our time in the sun!" He looked over at me and beamed, "There's probably also something about not wasting your youth, but I'm not quite old enough for that yet."

Neo and I giggled a bit at that, and suddenly all of our nerves were gone in an instant. I bowed to the large man, "Thank you." I said simply.

Beryl winked at me, "No idea what you're talking about; I do believe that I'm ready to make the introductions with your permission and I thank you for your patience."

I nodded, determined and Beryl gave me a last thumbs up before walking out onto the stage.

"Well that was certainly electrifying as always," there was a pause to let the audience chuckle at the small joke, "but now I present to you the final contenders of our Dance of Starlight, a mysterious duo represented by no one. Please welcome them to the stage!"

Neo and I stepped out onto the stage, the spotlights nearly blinding me with their brilliance. We walked out onto the stage and the crowd murmured as they saw our resplendent outfits.

Beryl stepped out to the side and the music began, I turned to Neo and clasped her hands. We spun and twirled, dancing gracefully on the stage; I heard some murmurs of appreciation from the crowd. The southern islander dance that Keara had shown us was truly a beautiful dance to behold when performed by experts. With many flowing movements and athletic jumps and skips that were somewhat difficult in the dancing robes.

However, Odell had done his work well and such movements also brought out the beauty in the patterns of our garb as they rippled and flared outward. I grinned slightly, and Neo gave one in reply, our confidence soaring as we performed steps and counter-steps that we had practiced until we had been exhausted. Besides, if they were impressed now, they hadn't seen anything yet. "Here we go." I whispered and Neo nodded and closed her eyes in fierce concentration.

Suddenly my world spun and leapt, my feet kept up the dance automatically, trained to muscle memory by our endless hours of practice. The crowd gasped and then roared in response to what I knew they saw.

We were now on the other side of the stage, however, with a still image on the other side. An image of our graceful dance, we did a few more twirls and then suddenly jumped, Neo let out a small gasp and suddenly we were right at the edge of the stage, the onlookers in the front row within an arm's reach. The crowd gasped and applauded, we kept dancing, focussed entirely on the dance itself, weaving in between the fragile statues on the stage. We jumped in the same manner once more… twice more… soon we were upon the final jump. However, I could tell that Neo was tiring as she used her Semblance, her steps were slower, and I quickly matched the pace.

"Neo, are you going to be okay?" I whispered.

Her slightly unfocused eyes cleared as she shook her head slightly, her expression slowly turned to one of steely determination. "I am." She stated, no trace of doubt, despite the exhaustion that crept into her tone.

I frowned, then nodded once in response, "I believe in you Neo." I said simply. She gave a tired grin and we spun, our arms outstretched. My world jumped once more, but there was a strange elasticity to it that hadn't been there before. I looked up with alarm at Neo as her face screwed up with concentration, then to my horror, suddenly went slack. She began to fall and I reflexively knelt down to catch her in my arms.

The feeling of elasticity vanished and I found myself very much still in the same position in the center of the stage. My heart leapt as her eyes slowly opened and I let out a sigh of relief. "Are you okay?" I asked.

I saw Neo's eyes swell up slightly with tears, "I couldn't jump, I just… got so tired and I-"

That's when we were practically bulldozed by the wave of sound that erupted from the crowd.

We looked up in amazement as the crowd surged to their feet, the noise was absolutely deafening.

I frowned, we had messed up at the last part of the routine, was it still really that good? I looked up and saw the massive screen overheads and gasped. I turned around to confirm that what I was seeing was real.

Behind me was a series of after images, all of me bending down to catch Neo as she fell. I blushed as I saw my face transform bit by bit, from worry so thorough that it pierced my heart, to the absolute relief when I had seen she was okay.

I stood up, Neo still in my arms, and then gently set her on her feet. She wobbled a bit, and helped her stay on her feet as we bowed to the crowd. I saw her gaze drift up to the screen overhead and her eyes widened, and she too twisted around to stare at the images behind us.

She then turned to me once more and tears filled her eyes as she hugged me tight, eliciting a collective, 'awwwwww' from the crowd that made my face go as red as my hair.

That's when I saw Beryl walk up to me, grinning from ear to ear. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have our winner! Our mysterious duo now has their names! Give it up for our Jack and the Star Maiden of the Festival of Lights!"

The crowd roared and stamped their approval, Beryl pushed a button and the lever emerged from the stage.

For a time, Neo simply stared at the contraption, I smiled and gently pulled her forward and we walked up to the lever together. We both grasped it at once, turned to each other, then with elated smiles, pulled it down hard.

The globe opened up and the night sky was revealed. Neo and I gasped as we saw the green and blue light of the Northern Lights arc majestically across the sky.

For a while we just stood there and stared, the whole thing feeling like a dream come true. Then suddenly Neo swayed slightly and I put my hand around her waist to support her.

"Are you alright?" I asked her.

She nodded, "Just really tired, that's all." she murmured.

At that moment Beryl walked up to us, a massive grin on his face. "That was excellent!" he enthused. "A truly marvelous spectacle; particularly the ending was concluded by the judges to be a perfect representation of the story of Jack and the Star Maiden, truly inspired! No doubt they'll wish to speak to you!"

I grimaced a little, "Thank you so much, but if it's no trouble, my companion is really tired from the dance, would it be alright if we snuck out?"

Beryl considered that, then winked at me, "I'm sure we could arrange that, I'll distract them long enough for you to slip away." He stuck out his hand to shake, "Just allow me to once more congratulate you and thank you for such a wonderful performance."

There are times where the smallest of things change the course of history, just a single decision, that out of context, would be absolutely meaningless in the grand scale of things. This was one of those times, because it was at that moment that Beryl took a step forward to shake my hand.

A single shot rang out.

I saw the large man's smile freeze on his face and then it transformed into a perplexed frown as he looked down to stare at the bloody spot that had appeared on his chest. He looked up at me, then gave a single small, sad sigh and dropped to the ground. Completely still.

Another shot rang out and the crowd erupted into a panic, I felt my scroll vibrate even as I dragged Neo back behind the curtain into the backstage area and set her down against the wall. I wrenched the device out of my robes and answered the call to see Cola's face.

"Rowan! Thank the Maidens! We've neutralized the sniper, but there's no telling if there's any more, I'm sending Kyoko to pick you up, do not move from where you are. She'll escort you back to Sea Reach house, and you'll hole up there. I will also be sending a squad of four men to the house to protect you. The pass phrase goes as follows, 'do apple blossoms fall lightly', 'not by the hair on my chinny-chin-chin'. Do you understand?"

I nodded and repeated the phrases back to him, he nodded sharply, "As I said, wait for Kyoko to pick you up, there will be a car right outside the exit. Cola over and out." His face winked out from the screen and I collapsed with my back against the wall, hyperventilating slightly as I saw the look on Beryl's face over and over again in my mind. That man had died saving my life, as unintentional as it had been. I wondered briefly if he had any family…

Suddenly I heard a noise and I rose into a fighting stance. Kyoko emerged around the corner and I relaxed slightly.

"Do apple blossoms fall lightly?" She asked me curtly.

"Not by the hair on my chinny-chin-chin." I replied.

Kyoko walked up and knelt in front of Neo, who was breathing shallowly on the ground. "Damn it all! She pushed herself too hard… you carry her, and I'll lead you to the car. Move!" I instantly leapt to obey, picking up Neo's slight form in my arms. "Squad 6, this is Firebird, I have found the Egg and the Basket, we are moving toward rendezvous now, do you copy?" I heard a voice chatter back to her through her earpiece, she listened intently, then moved to check down the hall, from which she had come. She turned to me and motioned for me to follow her.

I could hear my own heart beat thunderously in my chest as we ran through the twisting halls that we had journeyed what seemed like a lifetime ago. Kyoko stopped a few times to look around, her eyes alert as she checked to make sure we weren't walking into an ambush or being followed.

Eventually we reached a steel door, Kyoko raised her hand to her earpiece, "This is Firebird, hold fire on fourth exit, repeat, hold fire on fourth exit, I'm coming out with Egg and the Basket, over." I heard a brief reply, and Kyoko nodded to me, "Outside, there's going to be a black car parked at the curb. Look at me Rowan!" She snapped as my gaze shifted down to Neo's face, whose eyes had fluttered open briefly as she shifted in my arms. "The doors will be open, we have covering fire but there's no telling how many hostiles are here tonight."

I gulped, this night had gone from dance and childish nerves to a combat zone of hostiles and snipers. My mouth was dry as I stared at the door, suddenly my head jerked to the side, the side of my face stung from where Kyoko had slapped me. She grabbed the sides of my head and looked me dead in the eyes.

"Rowan! Listen to me! Your only goal is to get yourself and Neopolitan to that car, no matter what happens! It's got an autopilot back to the house, the password is 'the Duke's chestnut', do you got that?"

I nodded numbly, "The Duke's chestnut." I replied.

Kyoko nodded, then let go of my head, "Remember, no matter what happens, get yourself to that car, you got it?"

I stared blankly for a second, then suddenly a single thought came into my head. Suddenly my expression grew determined, and I let out a deep breath. If something happened out there, Neo's life depend on me getting her to safety, I had to keep it together. Kyoko noticed the change and gave a brief smile, "Ready?"

I nodded and she put her hand to the door, "On three, one, two… three!"

The door slammed open and Kyoko swooped outside, my vision tunneled onto a small black car that was sitting parked on the curb. I willed my feet to move faster, my steps thundered onto the pavement.

We were about halfway when all hell broke loose.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a massive red blur move towards me, I dropped into a roll, and heard an enraged howl as the blur shot over my head. Whatever it was crashed heavily to the ground a short distance away. I got to my feet and started running when I heard a barrage of gunfire. The howl echoed once into the night's sky, louder this time, an enraged bellow of pain and primal fury. Dimly, I noticed as Kyoko pulled out a long katana and threw herself to the side as another figure dashed at us. I heard the clash of steel as the figure produced knives out of thin air meeting our caretaker's blade in an overhead strike.

Kyoko's instructions thundered in my head as I stormed unheedingly toward the waiting car. In my arms I faintly felt Neo stir and feebly struggle, I held tighter and grit my teeth as I closed the distance.

Before I even registered I was there, I threw open the door and threw Neo inside, rolling after her and slamming the door behind me. "The Duke's chestnut!" I shouted as the car's AI engaged.

Suddenly the locks on the doors slammed shut, and the car's computer chirped a reply, "Passcode confirmed, emergency return protocol authorized, please buckle your seatbelts." The car's engine whined to a fever pitch. I reached over and grabbed Neo's seatbelt, buckling her in before turning my attention to my own. It had barely clicked when suddenly the car _rose_ into the air, and wings deployed at the side. My eyes widened as we rose into the air and shot forward pushing me back into my seat with the force of its acceleration.

We soared through the night sky, and I couldn't help but marvel as I saw the city lights blaze past us. Then my heart fell into my stomach as we began our rapid descent, I could see the Sea Reach house in front of us and I choked back a scream as we decelerated rapidly, I twisted in my seat to see parachutes had deployed from the trunk.

We slowly lowered to the ground, landing with a small _thud_ , that reverberated around the vehicle. I sat there for a moment as the parachutes limply fell to the ground beside us. I flinched violently as my robe vibrated and I reached into it to find my scroll, I answered it to see Cola's face. It flickered in and out of focus, as though from bad reception.

"Rowan! _zzzttt_ Sea Reach not sa- _zzzzttttt_ no word _zzzttt_ Keara _zzzztttt_ Rowan! Please _zzzzzzttttttt_." It broke off completely and went dead.

"Cola? Cola!" I practically screamed at the device. Suddenly there was movement outside and I flinched as something slammed into the car door and a silhouette appeared at the window. I watched in horror as it slid down, leaving something trailing in its wake. Suddenly another figure appeared and I recoiled from the door as it swung open, a knife appeared and cut through the parachute. I raised my fists as I put myself in front of Neo, my eyes glued on the weapon.

Then suddenly a familiar voice came from behind the parachute, "Sorry love, probably scared the living daylight out of yah." The section of parachute tore away and Keara's face beamed through the hole.

I gasped, there was blood on her face and her left eye was swollen almost completely shut. She grinned and sheathed the knife, "Ah come off it, it's not that bad, I've had worse. Now come on sharpish before more of these bastards show up."

I unbuckled myself and Neo, grabbing her, I slid across the seat. Keara reached over and helped me pull her out. I hefted Neo once more in my arms and Keara grunted, "Ach, poor girl, she's exhausted her Aura." She shook her head, as we walked to the house. "I've pulled that before, it's like getting a massive hangover, not that you'd know about that of course."

Even as she bantered calmly, I noticed as her eyes shifted from side to side. I followed her gaze, and in doing so, saw that multiple still forms lay on the ground, their blood mixing freely with the snow on the ground. I stopped abruptly as one of them shifted and coughed, it's hand reaching out to me.

"Please, I surrender, I-." He was cut off as Keara suddenly knelt down and in a quick, brutal jerk, slit his throat. I heard a faint gurgle and suddenly he fell still.

I stared at the woman as she wiped her knife on the man's armor, her eyes met mine and I saw something savage in them.

"An enemy not killed today, is an enemy that will kill you later." She told me, "I'm sorry you had to see that love, but if enemy reinforcements came, he would have told them about my Semblance, my tactics, maybe even the layout of some of the traps." She stood up and pushed me lightly toward the open door, "It's a cold logic love, but someday you'll understand, for now, we've got to get the defenses back online."

It was then, as I stepped forward, feeling numb that I felt the hairs on the back of my neck tingle. I dropped to my knees, hunkering over Neo, when my whole world exploded.

I opened my eyes groggily, I had been blown through the doorway and was lying with my back against the wall facing back outdoors. A cloaked figure stepped into the doorframe and stopped to stand there, mysterious and menacing. It reached up and threw back its cloak to reveal a man with a thin, angular face. His unnaturally pale eyes looked down at me and he frowned.

"You missed, Atami." he remarked.

Another figure stepped up beside him and leaned forward, his arm bracing casually on the doorframe. He pouted, "Well, excuse me mister downer." he turned to me and pointed at the man beside him, "Can you believe him, he just doesn't understand perfection!"

He walked forward slowly and I struggled to get up, I hissed as my right leg erupted in pain, I looked down to see that it was bent at an unnatural angle. "Oh ssshhhh, sshhhh." he raised a single finger to his lips. "It's okay, I'll make a _perfect_ work of art out of you." His boots clipped smartly onto the wooden floor until he stood towering over me. "I mean, just look at this backdrop!" he exclaimed, waving his hand dramatically at the gray wall behind me.

His eyes glinted as they dropped back down to me, "Your head is going to paint this wall _beautifully_!" he giggled madly as he bent over at the waist, raising a single finger, he touched it delicately to my forehead. His eyes peered into mine as I froze and I saw something insane stir in its depths before going suddenly calm. "Let's make a beautiful work of art, you and I." he purred, "Something to be remembered in your posterity."

He laughed maniacally and in a desperate effort my hands shot up to grab his hand. He frowned as I tried to move the limb, to no avail.

"Hmmm, that's too pathetic." He mused and he suddenly grabbed my head and slammed it into the wall, once, twice. My ears rung and my head dropped limply as he let go off it and I groaned as he put his finger back into place once more, the tip resting lightly on my forehead. "Let's make you go out with a bang, not a whimper." He giggled as he adjusted his finger's position slightly, I dimly heard his compatriot shout something at him. Aatami let out a sigh, "Silence from the peanut gallery please!" he replied. I saw a beatific smile spread across the man's face, "There, now… say _cheese!_ "

I dimly registered a figure dash through the door and I saw surprise briefly register on the man's face as he started to turn. Suddenly the man's face grew still and his eyes rolled back as he fell to the side. My gaze followed his body to see it hit the ground and the head roll away. I lifted up my gaze to see Kyoko there, her eyes ablaze with fury.

"Cheese you son of a bitch." She hissed. She spat at the corpse then turned back to the entryway, where I saw the thin man was standing up and dusting his pants.

He looked up and raised a single eyebrow at the body of his compatriot. He let out a sigh and turned his gaze back to Kyoko, "Most unseemly." he complained as he stepped backward. He lifted his hands and blue light began to flicker around them, suddenly blue ghostly arrows began to form around him, first a couple appeared, then more, then even more than that.

Soon, hundreds if not thousands of the missiles hovered in the air, the man bowed slightly, "Good bye, madam." he said, and they flowed towards us in a wave of death.

Kyoko let out a yell and there was a flash of light, when I had finally blinked the spots out of my eyes, I stared with amazement.

Kyoko stood at the entrance to the house, surrounding her was a great cocoon of fire that roiled and spun around her. She stepped forward and I saw the thin man's eyes narrow as he pulled out a rapier. More arrows began to form around him and she rushed forward, her katana held high as she let out a battle cry.

I heard a groan and I turned my gaze to see Neo sitting up, her eyes widened as she looked around.

"Rowan, what's going on?" She asked as she saw me, she gasped "What happened to your leg? Is that man dead?" She rattled off her questions, but didn't wait for a response as she stood up and began walking toward me. Suddenly there was a shout and she turned to see the strange man jump out of the way as Kyoko rushed forward, the fire aura around her leaving a trail of charred grass in her wake.

"Is that Miss Kyoko?" She asked, her eyes wide.

"Get down Neo!" I hissed, she obeyed and crouched down as she walked over to begin examining my leg, her eyes occasionally drifting over to Atami's corpse.

"It's broken." She confirmed and she twisted to grab the leg of a nearby nightstand that had been overturned from the force of the explosion earlier. She then proceeded to tear a strip off of her beautiful blue and pink dress. She looked at me meaningfully and I nodded, gritting my teeth slightly. She bent over and began speaking as she aligned my leg with the plank of wood.

"So what happened? The last thing I remember is that there was a sniper and Ber-" she choked a bit on the words, "Beryl was shot. Then I remember we left, I think there was a part where we were flying? The next thing I know, I see all of this."

I deliberately turned my gaze from my leg, "Yeah, long story short, the 'car' ended up being able to fly, we landed here and Keara was bringing us inside, when that guy." I nodded at Atami's corpse, "Showed up with that really thin guy that Kyoko's now fighting outside, they-" I let out a hiss as there was a sharp crack and white-hot pain coursed through my leg. I pounded the ground with a clenched fist, but kept my voice calm. "She killed him, and that's when you woke up."

Neo nodded as she swiftly wrapped the strip of silk around the makeshift splint. "Where's Keara then?"

I shrugged, "I don't know, I haven't seen her since those two showed up."

Neo bit her lip at the response and looked from side to side, "I don't see her, hopefully she's okay."

I nodded as I watched the fight outside, Kyoko appeared to solidly have the upper hand, as whoever the other assailant was, he kept giving ground. The fight had started only a few steps from the house and now they were out on the street.

Suddenly my heart grew cold as I heard a faint, familiar roar, "Oh Maidens." I swore.

I felt the ground quiver beneath me, "What the hell is that?" cried Neo.

"There were two others outside the ACE center, one of them sounded exactly like that." I explained.

Neo turned and picked me up, I grimaced as my injured leg swung limply. Neo began walking swiftly further into the house, "Come on then, we have to-" She stopped in her tracks and I turned my head to see a white haired woman wearing a heavy fur coat standing in the hallway. She grinned savagely as she spun a knife deftly in her right hand..

"Hello there, I would've knocked but the door was open, so I let myself in." She pulled out a knife in her other hand and began spinning it as well, she sauntered toward us menacingly. Her red eyes glinted and her breathing quickened as she approached, Neo backed up uncertainly and the woman's smile widened.

"Come on dear," she purred, "I just want to get a better look at you, that is a _lovely_ dress that you're wearing." I shivered as I saw bloodlust flare in her eyes, Neo let out a snarl and whirled around and began running back down the other way.

I heard the woman give a wild laugh and her footfalls quicken to pursue us. I choked back a cry as smoke suddenly poured out of everywhere. "Keep running!" I heard Keara's voice cry through the smoke as I saw an indistinct shape pass by us. A moment later I heard the clash of steel behind us as blades met.

Neo didn't even pause and whipped around the corner, suddenly there was a gigantic crash and two massive red arms punched through the wall beside us. Neo lunged forward, barely avoiding their grasp as they swung blindly. They suddenly fell still and I saw them tug together and pull, there was a groan and the wall slowly caved outward; stone crashed down in a tidal wave out into the snow.

Neo kept running and as I watched a gigantic _thing_ lowered its head into the resulting hole and stared after us. Neo ran up to the doorway and glanced around before taking a deep breath, "We have to find some place to lay low until Cola arrives with reinforcements." she told me and she nodded toward a neighboring house, a squat, pale green stone building. "That'll do." she whispered and then closed her eyes. I felt that weird elastic feeling once more and the next thing I knew we were standing a few paces away from the door.

We stood there for a moment and then Neo suddenly slumped to her knees, dropping me and sending me rolling into the snow. I whipped my head around to see her eyes roll back into her head as she fell to the ground. I stared for a second then realized that if she had exhausted her Aura before, she had utterly depleted it now.

"Damn it Neo!" I cursed as I crawled my way to her, "from now on, plans are _my_ thing!"

I desperately looked for something, anything to brace myself. My eyes eventually locked onto an assault rifle a few paces away. I stared at the weapon and then desperately lunged toward it, grabbing it, I made sure the safety was on before using the butt as a crutch. I carefully knelt down and picked up Neo's still form and threw it over my shoulder.

I stumbled slightly under her weight and grimaced as I stared at the front door of the house, the wooden surface seeming impossibly far away. I gritted my teeth and lifted my good leg and dragged my bad one after it. One step after another I made my way forward, the only sound that registered was that of my own breathing. Just a little bit further, just a little bit-

A gigantic shape loomed out of the corner of my eye and I fell forward more than rolled to avoid it. I flipped onto my back and flicked off the safety in the same motion; a crimson giant stood over me, it was grotesquely muscled, with veins bulging out from under its skin. It roared at me and I pulled the trigger.

The butt of the rifle hammered into my shoulder as I sent round after round into the creature. It stepped backward, a massive hand raised to protect its face as it roared in pain. An impossibly long moment later, the gun clicked, the magazine empty. I yanked at the trigger, yelling incoherently in despair. The giant growled as its beady eyes stared at me in fury, then it lifted both of its massive fists overhead.

I stared up at my impending doom and just suddenly felt tired, I was beaten and broken. I could only delay the inevitable at this point, I stared at the giant and grinned fatalistically as I deployed the bayonet on the rifle and held it up. A last feeble gesture of defiance.

The giant let out another roar and its boulder-sized fists began their descent.

I blinked at a sudden flash of light and heat, the giant paused and began to turn when a large fireball slammed into its side. It was sent tumbling and I scrambled desperately to watch the ensuing brawl.

It was Kyoko, her face set in a feral snarl as she slashed at the giant with her katana, it cried out pathetically as sheets of blood flowed from massive gashes in its arms.

There was something wrong though, Kyoko's fiery aura was no longer as bright as it had been and even as I watched her cuts were slowing, becoming sloppier. Her opponent seemed to notice this as well and its frantic scrambling went still, and suddenly, as she pulled back for another blow. A massive arm snapped out and grabbed her around the throat.

Her hands shot to the giant's grasp and she struggled desperately as he got to his feet and leered at her. I saw the grip tighten and Kyoko's aura flared once, then died out completely as she fell limp.

"No!" I screamed.

Kyoko seemed to hear me, and her head suddenly raised, I saw a soft smile appear on her face. She raised her hands to grab onto the giant's arms. Her mouth moved as she whispered something and I saw her face grow clam. Suddenly the fiery aura flared to life once more, it concentrated in on itself, growing brighter and brighter. The giant screamed and thrusted its face away from the fireball it now held in its grasp. The light got so bright that I had to squint to see through it.

Then everything exploded.

The shock wave hit me and I fell flat on my back, gasping as the wind was knocked out of me. For an eternity I lay there, the stars swirling above my head.

Finally I weakly lifted my head to see a gigantic crater where the giant had once stood. I dragged myself forward, my heart and head numb as my body moved without me even telling it to do so.

I reached the edge of the still smoking crater, the ground warm beneath my hands and I fell there limply as I simply stared. My eyes caught a glint of steel and I looked up to see Kyoko's katana standing upright in the snow. I stared at it and then rolled over on my back to see that the sun was rising.

I don't know how long I lay there, but I frowned as I saw a speck appear in the distance. It grew rapidly and I began to hear the sound of a troop transport. I stared at the rapidly approaching ship, it was a Falcon, my mind flashed back to an image of my mother and my father. "Isn't it a little redundant to name an airship after a bird?" my father had asked.

"You dolt, it carries a sense of grace and speed." my mother had replied lightly.

"A dolt am I? What about the Bullhead you two-bit airship designer?" he smiled as she rolled her eyes.

"That was your idea remember?" she reminded him.

"Oh that's right, well that carries a sense of dignity and sturdiness; also it will be easy to involve in crude curses by the soldiers it carries."

Throughout the argument they never grew heated, instead, they seemed to take a perverse pleasure in the names they would call each other.

Tears sprung to my eyes and exhaustion washed over me as the ship landed and Cola jumped out of the passenger's compartment, fully armored figures with heavy rifles jumped out to the side of him, scanning for threats.

The large man ran up to me and crashed to his knees by my side, "Rowan!" I heard Cola's voice as if from far away, "you're safe now, it's all going to be okay."

I smiled at that and finally let exhaustion overtake me.


	9. Chapter 9

Journal Entry 276

I don't recall waking up so much as being awake. I lay there for a long time, looking up at a pale gray ceiling. I felt dead inside, an eye in the hurricane that I knew lay beneath the surface, just waiting to be unearthed. I heard a soft sigh beside me and saw Neo lying on a bed next to mine. Her eyes were closed and she was breathing peacefully, I watched her for a while, just breathing in and out, almost deliberately keeping my mind blank.

There was a knock and I turned over to see a simple wooden door, it opened and Cola stepped inside. Seeing I was awake, he nodded at me, then walked over and sat down on the bed. He pulled out a cigar and lit it, he breathed in deep and then let out the smoke in a huge sigh as he stared down at his feet.

My eyes glued onto the smoke as it drifted through the air, Cola noticed it and then looked at the cigar with a scowl. He irritably ground it out on the bed frame and turned back to face the wall. "How are you feeling?" he asked gruffly.

"I'm alright…" I mumbled, which was true in the physical sense at least, my leg now only twinged a little as I sat up. As for emotionally, there was no way that I would even dare to look into the whirling maelstrom that lay beneath the surface.

Cola seemed to sense this and glanced back at me, "Dawn healed your leg, but she informed me it wasn't a complete job, you may feel some discomfort for the next few days.

I nodded in reply and stared down at the pristine, white sheets in silence.

Neither of us said anything for the longest time, finally Cola let out a sigh and rose. My gaze riveted on him, "I'll let you rest for now." he told me and began to walk back to the door.

"What happened to Kyoko and Keara?" I blurted out.

Cola froze with his hand on the doorknob, "Keara received a broken jaw as well as multiple major lacerations." he replied without turning around. "She's here at this safehouse, and is in stable condition." He turned his head, "As for Kyoko… she's gone."

My knuckles turned white as I gripped the sheets and the storm raging inside nearly consumed me as I stared at my knees. "Take me to Keara." I whispered.

Cola considered me for a moment, then nodded, "Very well, follow me Rowan."

* * *

We walked down a stone hallway with bright lights embedded in the wall every couple feet. The only sounds were our own footsteps that echoed around us in the confined space. Along the way we passed several metal doors that were all shut, all of this I ignored as I simply stared at Cola's back as he walked in front of me.

Finally he stopped outside one of the metallic doors and rapped on it. It opened to reveal a haggard looking man wearing white scrubs that was splattered with blood. His eyes widened and he bowed his head slightly.

"Report." Cola murmured.

The man glanced at me before responding, "Blood pressure is stable, she's a tough old bird alright." He looked troubled, "Even conscious if you can believe it, but…"

I didn't listen to the rest of the man's sentence, as soon as I heard that she was awake I impulsively pushed past him and walked down a white tiled hall and turned into the first doorway there.

Keara was lying back on a large cot, with large machines intermittently beeping with readouts of various medical parameters. I simply stared and tears of relief filled my eyes, "Keara." I whispered.

She turned and immediately I knew there was something wrong, her expression was vacant and her eyes were wide and unfocused. For a reason I couldn't put my finger on, chills ran up my spine as she smiled.

"Asher? Asher is that you?" She reached a hand up to my face and caressed my cheek lightly. Behind me I dimly noticed someone walk up behind me, but my attention was fixated on my teacher. "Asher, I'm so sorry." Tears filled her eyes, "You and Scarlett, I failed you both… I just couldn't be strong." A forlorn hope filled her eyes, "Can you ever forgive me?" she asked.

I froze, a whirlwind roared through me, tearing into me like so many hooked barbs. I suddenly whirled around. "Asher please!" I felt short of breath as bile rose in my throat. I staggered through the hall, leaning against the wall for support.

"Asher! Asher!" Desperately shutting out her pleas to a man I had never known, I ran back to the open door. I let out a gasp as my bad leg twisted and I stumbled, my knees slamming onto the cold stone floor.

I clapped my hands over my ears as a roar filled my head. Everything spun around me as the whirlwind finally broke free, I was lost; falling spinning into a raging abyss that engulfed me.

Then all at once I was encompassed with warmth as huge, strong arms wrapped around me, my eyes widened and I looked up to see Cola hugging me tight, his eyes soft as he looked down at me.

t wasn't until then that I noticed my voice was hoarse from screaming. For a while I knelt there, tears streaming down my cheeks as I let out huge, heaving sobs..

"Who?" I finally choked out. "Who did this? Why?" Cola's gaze turned away from mine. "You know who did this." I realized aloud, my voice quavering. His eyes turned back to mine and an emotion that I couldn't identify flickered there. "Tell me." I demanded, anger now making it's way into my voice as a black rage swept through me.

Cola's eyes turned hard, and he let go of me as he stood up, "And if I tell you," he said slowly, towering over me, "what will you do?"

I stared back into his eyes, "I will make them pay," I promised, "I will make them bleed and suffer for what they have done to me."

Cola stared down at me for a long time, finally he nodded once, "Come this way."

* * *

We walked down the hall and descended a small flight of stairs, and then continued to walk for what seemed like an eternity until we reached a solid black door.

Cola stepped to the side, "Beyond this door was the one who sold out your teachers." he told me. I looked from him and back to the door before taking a step forward. He stepped forward and stopped me with a hand. "And… two very important lessons: the first of these is how far people will go for their own self-interest, and the true cost of the brutality you will require to achieve the vengeance you seek."

He stepped back and placed his hands on my shoulders, I looked up and the black fury in my heart cooled a little as he looked down at me with sadness in his eyes.

"These are both lessons of the darkness that lives in all of humanity's soul." He told me, "I had hoped to spare you from this darkness. I should have brought you to Mantle to regain your birthright long ago, had I done so, it is likely that they would never have attacked so brazenly. I was… afraid."

I simply stared up at the man, dumbfounded, my anger momentarily extinguished as he continued, "As soon as you step through this door, you will never be able to forget these lessons. You will never again be able to walk in the light without seeing the darkness all around you." He leaned forward, "There is still a chance to walk away." He told me, "I can help you surround yourself with those that will walk in those dark places for you. Much as your father did for your mother."

A sharp pang echoed through my heart and I took a step back. He nodded, "Your father walked that path to spare your mother. However, she made the mistake that you can never make should you decide to walk away… she interfered."

He sighed heavily, "Your mother was brilliant in so many ways." he whispered. "She was intelligent, bewilderingly so; she took a backyard airship manufactory and rose all the way to be a Merchant Nobility Elector. She designed well over half of the ships flown in Atlas virtually by herself. She was charismatic, able to bend a room to her will in a way that I could only achieve with my Semblance." His eyes grew distant, "But at the end of the day, it was her own flame that would see her end. She was a woman of the light, and always saw the best in everyone… even if they didn't deserve it."

Cola fell silent, I was enraptured, this was the most that he had ever spoken of my mother and despite myself I forgot all about everything else as I listened intently.

"What happened?" I asked.

His eyes took on a coldness that I had never seen before as he spoke. "She spared a man who had attempted to kill her, this same man is the one who I believe not only tried again and succeeded, but also was behind the attack last night."

Unbidden, Keara's words echoed through my mind, 'An enemy not killed today, is an enemy that will kill you later.' "Who?" I asked, the rage kindling once more inside me.

He looked at me levelly, "This man's identity will be known to you only if you step inside that room and learn the lessons inside." He told me, "Should you hunt him without them, you will fail, and he will kill you too."

Something savage stirred in his eyes, "I have hunted this man for over a decade." A fury deeper than the stone beneath my feet echoed in his voice. "I refuse to lose anything… _anyone_ else to that bastard, I-." He shook himself irritably and straightened himself, his face becoming an impassive mask. "The choice is yours." He said brusquely.

I stared at that door for what seemed like an eternity. It's solid surface seemed at some points to stretch back into an endless abyss that promised to alternatively swallow me whole and whisper me the secrets that I so desired. I suppose that here is where some people who reminisce about how different their life would be had they turned away from that door.

I however do not, had I not opened that door, I would not be me. The person that I am could not have considered any other way. To me, Cola's choice was no choice at all, and so I opened the door and walked willingly into the darkness.

The door opened smoothly and I stepped inside, blinking as my eyes adjusted to the dimly lit room. A figure sitting in a chair stirred as I entered and it groaned in terror and agony. Suddenly several lights scattered around the room lit up and the scene came into focus and what I saw made me retch and nearly vomit.

The figure was a man who was bound to the chair with several rough, leather straps. His hands were splayed out in front of him on a wooden board… where there were several long nails driven into each of his fingers. Dark purple bruises covered his face where someone looked like they had systematically beaten him. His long, blonde hair hung about his face in uneven strands, and splotches of blood dripped down it to land in crimson pools the cold, stone floor.

The horrifying visage stirred and spoke, "Who's there? Please! I've done nothing wrong! You've got the wrong guy! Please!" he crumpled into a heap and began to sob plaintively.

I felt Cola's hand fall onto my shoulder and he steered past the doorframe and into the room. "Do you recognize him?" he asked me casually, as though he was asking the question about a passing pedestrian rather than this wreck of a man before me.

I swallowed and shook my head as I stared at the horrific injuries that had been inflicted. Cola picked up a cane that had been lying on the wall and it lashed out to flick some of the unruly hair away from the face. "Look closer." he told me, in that same, calm voice.

The man whimpered and recoiled as much as he could into the chair. "Please… please, I can give you money! Do you want money? Maybe I could-."

"Be quiet." Cola hissed and the man fell silent, his mouth opening and closing like a fish.

"Oh Maidens." I breathed and my stomach did a flip as I recognized the man.

"Please I'm just harmless tailor! What could you possibly want with me?!" Odell Mariano screamed.

* * *

I stared at the man who had so confidently and gracefully fitted Neo and myself for the dance, the man who had been kind enough to waive payment out of remembrance for his friendship with Kyoko.

It was hard to reconcile that graceful man overbrimming with confidence with this broken wreck of a man in front of me. My anger from before was gone, dust in the wind before this image out of a nightmare. So I stood there, staring mutely, fighting the rising bile in my throat.

Cola tapped his cane idly against the floor as he paced around the man in the chair, who let out whimpers of pain and terror as the footsteps echoed around the room.

"You know Mr. Mariano…" he began conversationally. "It boggles my mind somewhat that you would take part in such a risky venture." He paused and shook his head, "After all, you were a very successful tailor… I say 'were' because those fingers will never heal correctly… I made certain of that."

The import of those words hit me and I looked up at Cola's face, there I didn't see the beaming man who had played with Neo, nor did I see the man who had comforted the crying boy mere minutes ago.

I saw Cola Malaika, not my kindly benefactor, but the terrible, awesomely powerful head of Red Snow. This was no longer the man who had played with Neo and I, not the man who had saved me out of the nightmare of the Dust mine.

He was the nightmare incarnate.

Shivers ran down my spine at the almost beatific expression on Cola's face as he considered the man before him. He sighed and took off his coat, hanging it on a hook on the wall. He then picked up a pair of gloves that were resting on the table and donned them. My eyes widened at the blood splattered on them and I trembled at this confirmation of my suspicion.

Those gloves would be far too large on anyone else.

Odell finally mustered up the courage to protest, "I told you! I don't know anything! Please!" He screamed.

"Oh I'm aware of that." Cola replied. The man's head turned up to look at him and the giant man smiled. "You see, I'm already aware of most aspects of this particular incident."

He nodded slightly in my direction, "Rowan is already quite aware that I'm partial to the dramatic. I'm also rather partial to mystery novels, so please bear with me if I get a tad carried away in the proceedings."

He walked over and pulled up a chair that was sitting against the wall and sat down facing Odell. "You almost got away with it you know." He told him matter-of-factly. He nodded and leaned back, "You see, Kyoko never informed me that she took Rowan and Neopolitan to your shop to get their dancing outfits for the Festival." He spread his hands wide, "After all, she wasn't going to some random tailor, she was going to a friend who she had known for years. Someone who she had been with most of her life. They have no signature or distinguishing markings, indeed, those appear to have been deliberately removed."

He stood up, "No conclusive evidence from the security camera recordings in your shop, no financial records, no electronic notes on Rowan and Neopolitan as clients. It would appear as though they had never appeared in your shop, which would to exonerate you of any wrongdoing. However…" Cola looked down and smiled, "there are two pieces of evidence that say otherwise." He walked over to a small wooden table and picked up a piece of clothing that I realized was Neo's dancing outfit.

"This is very fine craftsmanship." he murmured, "I am familiar with all of the most professional tailors in the city and I was able to narrow down to a narrow pool, which included yourself." He laid it gently back down, "Either there is an up and coming tailor that I am unaware of, or there was a very limited pool of people who it could be."

He shrugged, "Circumstantial evidence at best of course. There was no real evidence that it was the tailor that made these articles of clothing that gave my enemies information about Rowan's existence. It merely was that how the garments were procured was a gaping hole in my knowledge of the evening."

"Then you made your mistake, which by no means was your most foolish." He picked up a scroll that was lying on the table, "This is your scroll, at the very least, it was the scroll you made your treacherous call with." He glanced over at Odell, "You appear to do a lot of information brokering, mostly small time drivel with lords and ladies with their gossip and such. What I cannot believe, is that you used the same scroll for this call as you did the others." Cola shook his head, "You see, I have friends in high places, do you know the Rashin? The family that just so happens to run the Cross Continental Transmit System?"

My eyes widened, Cola nodded and walked over to sit in front of Odell once more, "You see, they do something a little… unethical and illegal. That is tapping into some of the more interesting scrolls in the city and monitoring their conversations." He smiled and patted Odell on the shoulder, who whimpered and recoiled from the contact. "Guess what Mr. Mariano my friend? You made the list, very low priority, so unfortunately your first call went unnoticed, after all, middle of the day, the call traffic is high and it becomes difficult to sort everything out. No doubt you were instructed to do that by your contact. It appears that they never explained this all to you, as your mistake was this second call right here, made mere minutes after the attack, in the dead of night."

Cola pressed a button and Odell's voice came over the speaker, "This is Odell, talk to me Marillo."

"The house was hit badly sir, it appears there's at least a few bodies, large crater as well as some smaller ones."

"Have you gotten a confirmation?"

"No sir, I've only been to gather some information about the fight, there was a recording, the two primary targets appear to be harmed but alive by the most recent account."

"Damn! There goes my bonus." There was a brief pause, then the voice spoke again, "They'll likely go to ground for now, but they'll emerge eventually, do you know if Kyoko's still alive?"

"Only if she can survive self-implosion, it looks like she overloaded her Semblance."

"Damn that woman! Very well, I was friendly to the children as well, and little Rowan, appears to have a decent taste in fashion, perhaps I can use that to get into his good graces. Keep gathering as much information as you can, I'll check in with King tomorrow."

At that last word I let out a gasp and took a step back, memories of my childhood rushing into my mind. I stared at Odell, and that anger that had been so thoroughly smothered by horror at the torture began to stir again. Was I never to be free of that damn name? Was this mysterious self-proclaimed royal bastard always to-

I paused as the full import of what I had heard took hold. Cola had said that the man who had been responsible for the attack had likely been the one that had killed my parents. That made some form of sense, who else would be in the position to take me into slavery afterwards? But why let me live at all? Why not just kill me and remove the threat? I couldn't see any reason to it, that day was all just a blur in my memory.

I remembered smoke, fire and death all around me, I vaguely remembered a man beating me down and carrying me away, a black haired man with a scar across his eye. The next thing I remembered was being chained on a transport ship with others who were being delivered to the mine as slaves. Their dead eyes matching my own as I came to the realization that I would never see my parents again.

I shoved those memories aside ruthlessly, returning to the present to see Cola calmly watching me, he nodded his head and stood up. He put down the scroll and stood there watching Odell, who was sitting there, his mouth opening and closing like a fish. Finally he collapsed in on himself, shrinking down into the chair. "What did you do with Marillo?" He asked quietly.

"He had a cyanide tooth, he died before we could get anything useful out of him." replied Cola.

Odell shivered, "What are you going to do with me?"

Cola picked something off the table, "That depends." he replied as he walked over to me. He extended his hand and placed something firmly in mine. When he withdrew it my eyes widened to see that it was a pistol, it's black barrel shone as it reflected the harsh light overhead

I looked up at Cola, who turned around and walked beside Odell, "Let me make this very clear, I said before that the mistake about the call was not your most foolish." He paused, "Would you like me to tell you what was?"

Odell whimpered at his tone, and then let out a scream of anguish as Cola reached out with his thumb and pressed down on the head of one of the nails, pushing it through the board completely until it was flush with the knuckle.

"Your most foolish mistake." He said softly as Odell's screams died down to a series of whimpers, "Was making _me_ your enemy."

He turned back to me and walked over to my side, leaving Odell moaning in agony, "It's your choice." He whispered, and then walked out of the room, leaving me alone with the man in front of me.

I stood there for a few minutes, not entirely sure of my own emotions. Finally I walked up to Odell, my feet echoing softly on the stone floor. I reached down and with a grunt of effort, undid the straps holding the man's legs to the chair. He stopped moaning and stared at me with shock as I undid his other bonds.

"Can you walk?" I asked him quietly. With a grimace of pain, he unsteadily got to his feet, "I can't do anything about your hands at the moment, but if we can get you out of here, then we can get you to a doctor."

He stared at me, dumbfounded, "Why?" he asked simply.

I shrugged, "Kyoko wouldn't have wanted it like this." I said with certainty.

Tears came to his eyes, "They would have killed me." He told me, "They knew I was a long-time friend of Kyoko's, if I hadn't done what I had done, they would have come for me. You have to believe me."

I bit my lip and nodded, "C'mon let's go." I pushed him slightly towards the door, it was ajar, and soft light shined through the gap.

I wondered briefly how it looked to Odell as he stumbled towards it, it must have looked like hope, freedom, chance at life again away from this hell.

I would never know, I reflected, as I lifted the pistol and shot him in the back of the knee.

He let out a scream as the bullet tore through bone and muscle and he toppled forward. He continued to scream as I shot the other kneecap out, the bullet tore through muscle and bone. Leaving him laying flat on the floor where he blubbered out profanities and pleas alternatively.

I walked up beside him and rolled him over with my foot, his face was full of terror and despair as I pointed the gun at his face. "This is more how I think she would have wanted it."

Of that I was uncertain, but it was certainly more how I wanted it and I pulled the trigger.

* * *

I exited the room to find Cola leaning with his back against the wall, smoking a large cigar, staring up at the ceiling. I walked silently up to him and held out the gun, which he took and pocketed without looking at me. He stayed like that for a moment more, then took a step away from the wall and beckoned for me to follow him, I obeyed and we walked back to the stairs.

"We'll be meeting with an associate of mine tomorrow, the day after, we'll be leaving for Mantle. It's time for you to reclaim your birthright."

I nodded and we walked in silence until we reached the stairs.

"Who is King?" I asked.

Cola paused and then turned to me, his eyes hard,"A treacherous, slimy, son of a bitch whose blood I will boil in his veins. Other than that, he is a crime lord that runs several businesses, both legitimate and illegitimate. He is the man whom I have hunted ever since your mother's death and styles himself as my rival for being one of the most powerful people in Solitas. While I have made an agreement of sorts with the Rashin, he has done the same with some bastard that married into the Schnee family. He is the one who killed your mother and wishes to kill you and finish the job."

Remember that other name I was talking about earlier? The one that I learned to hate and fear above all others? Well now you get to learn it, exactly when I did.

"His real name, is Serroi Vertimos." Cola turned back around and walked up the stairs.


	10. Chapter 10

Journal Entry 277

Serroi Vertimos… a name that I have reviled and feared throughout my life. The son of a bitch that I would in fact later confirm, not only killed my parents, but orchestrated the attack that would see Kyoko dead and, in a way, Keara as well. By the story's end they will not be the last of people whom I've cared about that can be laid at that monster's feet.

Time enough for that later however, things will be allowed to look up for a while…

* * *

Cola lead me to my room, and told me to get some rest, that tomorrow would be a big day, and that I would need my wits about me. I didn't protest, and fell numbly into the bed, not even bothering to pull the covers around me and fell into a deep sleep.

I woke to someone shaking me roughly, I jolted upright, my eyes wide to find a pair of familiar mismatched eyes looking into mine.

"Rowan! Where are we?! Where are Kyoko and Keara?! Where's Cola?!" her voice wild.

I stared at her for a long time, debating about what to tell her, eventually my gaze dropped to my knees, "Neo… Kyoko's dead and Keara… she's alive, but she's… sick." I blurted out, still not sure quite what to make of Keara's inability to recognize me.

Neo stood stock still for a long moment, then her hand dropped to her side and tears began to form in her eyes. "Kyoko…" she gulped, "she's…"

I put my hand on her shoulder, "She's dead." I said simply.

She broke down, burying her head into my shoulder, muffling her cries, I held her tight. It was then that I made a vow to myself. I had lost my parents, I had lost my teachers, but by my blood, by my very _soul_.

I would never lose her, I would never lose Neo.

Never.

* * *

I'm not sure when we fell asleep, but I woke up again to the sound of knocking on the door. Neo's head stirred from where she had fallen asleep on my shoulder, I turned to face the door, "Come in!"

The door opened and Cola walked in, he nodded somberly to us, "Good morning Rowan, Neopolitan. I will need you both to bath and get dressed in appropriate attire, we are going to be visiting someone of importance today."

I frowned at that, "Who is that?" I asked him.

"A man named Kuroi Akita, I will brief you on the details on the way there. The showers are the second doors on the left and right; I will have clothes brought to you." He stepped out and closed the door gently behind him.

I turned to Neo, who yawned a little before biting her lip and staring down at the sheets. I was silent as I waited to hear what she wanted to say.

"Rowan?"

"Yeah?"

"I… I'm glad that at least you're okay." she finished lamely.

I smiled and hugged her tight, "I'm glad that you're okay too." I answered simply.

* * *

I walked out of the shower feeling refreshed, to find a black suit lying out on a chair. I put it on and examined myself in the mirror. Black never really was my best color, but I can pull it off in a pinch, satisfied, I walked out the door and froze at the sight I found outside.

It was Neo, but wearing a suit of what could only be described as light armor. Plates covered the elbows and shoulders, as well as the legs. The torso itself was comprised of interlocking plates that shifted smoothly as Neo stretched and swung her arms, testing the fit. She smiled sadly when she saw me, "Cola came by… apparently Kyoko and Keara intended to give us some gifts." her gaze dropped, "I saw Keara." she whispered, "she… wasn't in any condition to give me this." She picked up something off the ground and with a flourish, unfurled it.

It was a silken umbrella.

I stared as she twirled it expertly, "It's steel-reinforced." she said softly, she put it over her shoulder and spun it daintily, "It looks like I can be a lady-like yojimbo after all." She pointed, "Those are yours." she said.

I turned to see a chair up against the wall, and on it was a bowler hat, and a cane. I frowned as I picked them up. A slip of paper fell out of the hat and landed on the chair. I tucked the hat and cane under an arm and opened it.

'Dear Rowan,

I know that the hat may seem a bit tacky, but I think it will look good on you. It was my father's and it's reinforced to help protect that massive head of yours. The cane was crafted in the forge of Sevag of the Iron Steppes, its name is Melodic Cudgel, you'll find that it's adjustable, so that it can grow as you do. I hope that it will serve you well. Cola told us that it's likely that you'll be returning to Mantle to claim your birthright soon, and therefore that little time remains where you'll be my student. I just wanted to say that I'm proud of you Rowan, you've grown so much since you were a scared little boy from the mines. I know that you'll go on to do great things, perhaps even greater than your mother. It's been my privilege to act as your guardian and mentor.

Kyoko

I read the lines over and over again, finally something inside me broke and I slumped down into the chair and stared up at the ceiling. I donned the hat, deliberately tilting it down so that Neo couldn't see the tears that were forming in my eyes.

"Rowan?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm scared…"

I looked up to see her biting her lip, her eyes fixated on the floor. "I mean… Kyoko and Keara… they were so strong… and now…" her voice trailed off as she continued to avoid my gaze.

I sighed and stood up, and walking over to her, I put both of my hands on her shoulders and squeezed tightly. "Neo… look at me." She obeyed, her beautiful mismatched eyes staring uncertainly into my own.

"Do you trust me?" I asked her.

"What?"

"I said, 'do you trust me?'"

She nodded, "Of course."

I grinned, "Then don't worry… we have each other and we have Cola. All else will follow."

She cocked her head, "You… you think so."

I nodded, "I'm positive." and gave her a thumbs up.

She giggled a little at that, and then her eyes widened, "you're crying…" she said.

I abruptly looked away from her and dashed my hand across my face, "I'm fine, just something in my eye."

"Don't give me that." She stuck her hands on her waist as she looked up at me, "you always were a terrible liar."

I was silent for a while, then shook my head as I tried to stop the tears, "I thought…" I took a deep, shuddering breath. "I thought the nightmare was over." I choked out, "I thought that I was done losing people, that after my parents I wouldn't have to experience that ever again… but…" I clenched my fists. "It's the same damn guy." I told her, "Serroi… he just won't _leave me alone_ , I've done _nothing_ to him, but he just keeps coming back."

Neo said nothing but gently wrapped her arms around me and held me tight.

"I killed him." I said abruptly, "Odell, he sold them out… they had been friends for years and he just…" I didn't finish the sentence, but just let out a sob. Neo squeezed tight and patted me on the back. "And it's not going to be the last time…" I said, "he'll be there… I just know it… in Mantle… he'll be there… and…"

"And we're going to kill him." Neo said calmly.

I blinked and turned my head to see her looking back at me steadily. "If he won't stop, we'll make him stop. You said it yourself, as long as we're together, all else will follow." I let out a weak laugh and she wiped the tears gently from my eyes. "Also, if he was behind the attack, then we've got a score to settle." she continued, "Both of us… for Keara… and for Kyoko."

We said nothing more, we just simply stood there, taking comfort in each other's' arms.

* * *

"Rowan, Neo, it's time to go." I looked up to see Cola, with Bayard standing smartly at attention behind him. Neo and I gently separated from each other and we followed them down the hall, and up a long set of stairs until we came to a pair of steel doors. Cola pulled out a keycard and swiped it on a reader on the wall. There was a sharp click and the doors opened with a groan. I squinted through the bright sunlight and stepped outside to see that we were standing at the base of large hill. The city was stood in the distance, its towers gleaming in the sunlight. Cola and Bayard stepped forward and I saw a car was parked a short distance away. We got in and Bayard began driving toward the city.

Cola turned his head to face me, "Kuroi Akita is a dangerous man, an up and coming smuggler, as well as the owner of one of the strongest law firms on the continent. Our purpose in visiting him is three-fold." He raised a finger, "The first is to have you officially take up your role as the heir to Laisren Airship Manufactory," he lifted another finger, "the second is to have myself officially recognized as your legal guardian under a title I have secured that establishes me as Merchant Nobility. Neopolitan will also be recognized under this title as my official heir, which will give her some standing in Mantle." He lifted a third finger, "Finally; Kuroi is of the Kensai sect; Kyoko covered them in your education, yes?"

I nodded, "The Kensai are a group from the northern reaches of Mistral, they wield blades of extremely high quality, and place great importance on them, as well as the spirits they believe reside inside of them."

Cola nodded, "Excellent, as you know, those of the Kensai have a guardian whom any blade it to be returned to should they die; Kuroi is her blade's guardian."

My mind flashed back to Kyoko's katana standing bladefirst in the earth after the explosion, unmarred despite the destruction. "That means that we will be returning it to him?"

Cola nodded, "Indeed, moreover, you will be delivering it personally; as she died protecting you. We will be rehearsing the correct ritual saying that accompanies returning the blade until we arrive at his location. I will tell you when the time is appropriate, other than that, I shall do the talking. Understood?"

I nodded my acquiescence and he turned to Neo. "Neopolitan, this will be your first time acting in official capacity as a yojimbo for Rowan. Follow Bayard's lead and be vigilant, while the odds that Kuroi himself will attempt something is very low. Those who were behind the attack are still a threat."

Neo nodded nervously, Bayard turned and gave her a thumbs up, which she nervously returned.

"Is all of this understood?" Neo and I nodded.

Cola turned back to face the front, "Very well, repeat after me Rowan…"

* * *

About an hour later, we parked out front of a large night club, rhythmic music pounded from inside and people in bizarre outfits waited in a line outside. The bouncer was a large man in an oni kabuki mask, he wore a sheathed katana at his side. He stared straight ahead as our group walked up to the door. Cola bowed his head slightly, "Good afternoon, I have business with Kuroi Akita."

The bouncer craned his neck to look up at Cola's face. "And you are?" he asked, his voice deep and gravelly.

Cola smiled, "My name is Cola Malaika."

The bruiser's eyes widened and he stepped smartly to the side as he opened the door, "Welcome sir, go right and take the stairs to…"

"I am aware of the way there, thank you." Cola replied, sweeping past him. We followed inside, I blinked rapidly, my eyes slowly acclimating to the sudden darkness. There was a large, open floor where a multitude of people were dancing frantically. This in turn was surrounded by a series of large tables where people were reclining, many were drinking or smoking various substances.

I followed closely behind Cola, who led us to a curved staircase that was off to the right of the entrance. We walked silently up the steps, finally arriving at the top where there was a long hallway, with a plain wooden door at the end.

Suddenly my eyes were riveted to the massive man and woman that stepped out in front to greet us.

It was the first time I had _ever_ seen anyone as tall as Cola, they had massive nodachi swords sheathed on their backs. The woman wore a cat kabuki mask, and the man one of a dog. I looked high up to see that they were both Faunus, each with a pair of furry ears sticking out of the top of their heads above the masks. They simultaneously crossed their arms as they blocked our passage, saying nothing.

Cola nodded to the woman, "Ichi," he then turned and nodded to the man, "Ni, if you would please be so kind. I have business with Kuroi."

The two figures stood stock still, then as one, they nodded and abruptly turned and began walking down the hall. We followed silently afterward until we arrived at the door. The man opened the door and the woman stepped inside, we filed in after her, coming into a large, plain room. Across from us was a single sliding paper-screen door, the Faunus man closed the door behind us, and the sound of the music from the club below cut out completely.

The two Faunus walked up to the sliding screen door, the woman opened it and stuck her head inside, we heard faint murmuring and she turned and closed the door. She beckoned to us, "He will see you now, but your yojimbo must remain out here with us."

Cola nodded and mentally I steeled myself as we stepped forward, the Faunus woman opened the door for us and we stepped inside.

There was a small room, enclosed by more of the paper screens, across was another door and in the center was a low table on a straw mat with several cushions surrounding it. Seated at one of these across from us was a slender, black haired man wearing a gray kimono. He stood up and bowed to us from the waist, Cola replied with one of his own and I mimicked him.

"Cola, it's so good to see you!" he turned his gaze to me, "and I believe that this young man is Rowan? So... the rumors were true hmmm?"

Cola raised an eyebrow, "Rumors?"

Kuroi waved his hands vaguely, "Oh you know, the usual sort, that you had been bamboozled, cuckolded… taken for a fool. That you had hidden your red-haired prize away in a tall tower and some damn knights tried to come along and take him away."

"Hmmm…" Cola responded.

Kuroi made a huffing noise and waved his hands at the cushions in front of us, "Well don't just stand there like a log! Come, come! Have a seat, take a load off."

We followed his instruction and I couldn't help but feel a little… lost… I suppose when I thought of a smuggler, lawyer character, I had been expecting someone like Cola, or maybe even Bayard. Proper looking, kind of uptight… I hadn't been expecting this man whose kimono I realized was ruffled, his hair messy and unkempt. He sighed loudly as he took his seat as well, and he waggled his eyebrows at us.

"So what have you come to me for then?" he asked, rubbing his palms together.

Cola cleared his throat, "Our first order of business is on a more… personal note." He jerked his head at me.

I swallowed nervously and pulled the sling off of my shoulder and placed it on the table, I unscrewed the top and pulled out a sheathed katana.

"Here I present the blade of a warrior." I intoned ritually as I presented the weapon, "Their death cuts my heart deeply, but deeper still were the cuts it left in their foes. The blade is sheathed for its spirit burns. May it find peace now and greater glory once more."

Kuroi stared at the katana and his almond-shaped eyes widened as he stared at the sheathed weapon. He reached out for it and grasped it, he unsheathed the blade and his eyes moved along the gleaming steel. "Your words honor the spirit," he replied, "may it find rest in my care until it is time to dance once more."

He sheathed the sword and laid it in his lap. The room was silent for a long time, "It's Kyoko's blade." His statement held an unspoken question.

"She died defending me… I'm sorry." I replied.

The man's fist lashed out and slammed onto the table, "Hana!" The screen door behind him slid open and a squat man in red lacquered armor stood in the doorway. "Three cups of sake, now!" The man bowed deeply at the waist and closed the door.

Despite myself, I stared at the man's face, which despite the outburst was stony, but little else showed.

"You said you had other business." the man said gruffly.

Cola nodded, "I am officially taking up the Merchant Nobility mantle of the House of Gialatta. I then want you to establish that I was given guardianship over Rowan by his mother; in addition, I wish to enact the clause in his mother's will that will pass the ownership of Laisren Air Manufactory to him."

Kuroi nodded, "The first is easy enough, you've already set the groundwork for that."

"I will also be wishing to appoint an official heir for that title." Cola continued.

Kuroi's eyebrows raised and a wicked grin spread across his face, "Well, well, you skid rogue… and just who is the lucky lady?"

Cola smiled, "It's an… adoption of sorts."

Kuroi pouted, "There you go… getting my hopes up… any woman that could have caught you in her web would have been quite the treat to meet." He waved his hand flippantly, "In any case, once again, that will be easy enough. Just bring her in and I'll take a ID sample, oh and by the way, I'll be needing some samples from Rowan here to carry out your other two requests."

He paused as the armored man entered carrying a tray with three cups and a pale bottle. I watched as he set the first cup in front of Kuroi, then frowned in confusion as, rather than setting the other two cups in front of Cola and myself as I expected; he set them down in front of Kuroi as well.

"Thank you Hana, if you would be so kind, retrieve the contents of lockboxes 999 and 3231." he bowed at the waist and gently closed the screen door behind him as he left.

Kuroi quickly poured sake into the three cups and then to my shock, he grabbed two of them and dash the contents directly into his eyes. He let out a gasp and set them down, grabbing the third, he drained its contents and then sat there panting for a while, his head bowed.

"As for the guardianship," he continued as though nothing had occurred, "I believe that will be simpler than you believe." He looked up, unmindful of the lines of moisture on his cheeks that I had a hunch wasn't all alcohol, "You see, one of the documents she left behind make it clear that you were to be Rowan's godfather."

Cola's face gave away nothing, but from where I was seated I noticed that his grip on the head of his cane under the table spasmed for a brief second, then relaxed. "I see…" he said, then shrugged, "well then, I trust that it will be a matter of replacing my name with the title I will be assuming."

Kuroi nodded, "Bingo. Ah! Thank you Hana." he said as the armored man once more came in, this time with two large metal boxes. He set them down on the table and bowed, before walking over to stand in the corner. Kuroi opened them and pulled out piles of papers, he carefully placed them into neat stacks on the table. Then gestured to me, "Give me your hand, this will sting a bit."

I sighed as I stretched it out, why always blood? Seriously…

"Oh don't be a baby, it's just a scratch", he took a small knife and cut my thumb, squeezing out some droplets, he put them onto a small reader. It beeped and once more a picture of my mother appeared along with green text, "Confirmed match."

Kuroi nodded and began shuffling through the papers, finally he handed a couple to me, along with a pen, "Here you go, sign these and my people will get everything squared away."

He then turned to Cola, "Now, do you have your 'heir' here today?"

Cola nodded, "Yes, she's right outside." He twisted slightly, "Neopolitan, you can come in now."

The screen door slid aside and Neo nervously stepped into the room. Kuroi's eyebrow raised, "Hmm… chip off the old block. I can tell by the eyes."

Cola rolled his eyes, "There have been worse cases of polite fiction."

Kuroi snorted, "Well, I can say comfortably she's not going to be using your old baseball mitt." He beckoned to her, "Come girl, I won't bite." He pursed his lips, "Although I will need you to hold out your hand."

He once again repeated the process of slicing her thumb and taking a few drops, putting them onto the reader. He typed some commands into it and a small piece of paper printed out, he took it and handed to Cola and Neo along with a pen.

"There, sign at the dotted lines Cola and Neopolitan Gialatta." They did so and Kuroi took the papers and placed them into the box. "I will send the electronic copies to your scroll." Kuroi said. "Is there anything else?"

Cola bowed, and I hastily copied the movement, "No, that will be all for now."

"Excellent." Kuroi said rubbing his palms together, "Then I shall instead make a request of you… may I speak to Rowan alone if you please?"

Cola's eyebrows shot up slightly in surprise, he considered the request for a moment, then shrugged, "Very well, come Neopolitan."

Neo looked from Kuroi then back to me, and nodded, they went out the door to the lobby, closing the sliding door gently behind them.

For a while, the man in front of me said nothing, then suddenly he poured the sake into the three cups and once more conducted his bizarre ritual, splashing a cup into each eye before gulping down the third, he let out a gasp and sat there for a moment.

Suddenly, his bloodshot eyes rose to meet mine, "What? What are you staring at me for?" He cocked his head, "Quit being such a flat penny! Say something!"

I wasn't quite sure how to proceed, so I simply bowed my head, "I- I'm sorry about Kyoko."

He waved his hand, "It was bound to happen at some point." he said, his voice resigned. I looked up, confused and he nodded, "Kyoko and I… used to be close, as you may have guessed, but she was… asleep… always asleep." He leaned back, his gaze towards the ceiling. "Do you sleep boy?" he asked me suddenly.

"Umm… yes." His gaze dropped and he looked in my eyes, and suddenly he snorted.

"You people, always so literal… when I speak of being asleep or awake, I mean as in how you perceive the world." He put the sheathed katana on the table, "Kyoko was always asleep, always believing the best of people and the world around her." He looked deep into my eyes and nodded, "You look like you've been asleep for a while, and you've been woken up again."

He pointed at me, "Make sure that you stay awake. Do you know why Cola chose Kyoko as your guardian?" I didn't know what do say, so I simply shook my head.

He looked back down at the sword, "Because he knew that if she died, I would seek vengeance." he said his voice bitter. "Cola never sleeps. It's one of the reasons I respect him. For so long, I've been able to stand by the side of their little war, but now… I can no longer stand idle." He gestured at the blade, "The spirit still burns, and its fire shall only be quenched with that bastard's life blood."

He lifted his eyes to me once more, "I warn you of this, because she cared enough about you to give her life for you. Consider this her final lesson…" He waved me away, "You can go now, take care in Mantle, Rowan. If you thought Atlas was a cesspit, then you've seen nothing yet."

I stood up uncertainly, bowed and walked out the door.


	11. Chapter 11

**Shout-out to TehGramerPolise for helping with this chapter**

* * *

Journal Entry 278

Kuroi Akita, ten kinds of crazy… and fifty kinds of dangerous. He wasn't wrong with what he said about Cola. Cola always played to win, no matter the outcome he would always get ahead somehow.

In the years to come Kuroi would indeed make good on his promise, throwing the full weight of his Kensai warriors and lawyers alongside Cola in his quest to kill Serroi and be the undisputed underground emperor of Solitas.

Cola never enjoyed playing chess, always preferring cards; at first I had thought it was some kind of reproach against a game that was considered an art by the nobility. Later, I would wonder if it was because it was too much like what he did in real life. Moving pieces into place in an elegant web of gambits, bluffs, and traps. After all, painted wooden pieces no doubt got stale after you performed the same maneuvers with actual living beings.

Cola always played to win, and he won every game he ever played seriously…

All except the one he wanted to win the most...

* * *

We boarded the airship early the next day to leave for Mantle. I stopped as I stared up at its side; _AAT North Star_ were inscribed there in bold letters. I looked over its sleek lines that I hadn't fully appreciated on the day it had carried Neo and I away from that hell hole. I ran my hand along the railing as we walked up the gangplank and into the ship. We were lead into a familiar room, a lounge with leather chairs and a table. Neo and I sat down in the chairs just as Cola and Bayard entered the room.

"We'll be taking off shortly boss." A crew member informed us as Cola and Bayard sat across from us.

"Very good Roy, you are dismissed." the man bowed and walked out of the room, closing it gently behind him.

Cola sighed and looked around the room, "It's been awhile since you've been in here… I wonder, Rowan." He pulled out a deck of cards and smiled, "Do you remember the game you and I played then?"

I smiled back as he shuffled the deck, "I think I remember the basics."

Neo frowned, "What game is this?"

Bayard rolled his eyes, "Forgive Master Cola, he takes perverse pleasure in being cryptic. He is speaking of Liar's Net, a variation on Go Fish in which one may lie in order to prevent having to give a card to their opponent."

She frowned, "So what happens if you're caught?"

"Then you have to give the card and that pile is worth two points rather than one." I answered her. "If they call you out and they're wrong though, they give you the card and you get a point."

Cola nodded, "That is correct, I think with this many people playing, we will require the deck to be doubled." He reached into his coat and pulled out another deck and swiftly shuffled the two together. He then dealt us each a hand of five cards, for a moment we were all silent as we examined our cards, Bayard placed down a pair of two's and then drew two cards to replace them.

"Neopolitan, you're to my left, why don't you begin?"

She nodded and bit her lip as she considered her hand, she then looked back up to Cola, "Do you have any three's?" she asked him.

He gave a cursory look to his hand and then pulled out a card and handed it to her, she took it and placed the pair down on the table before replacing the two cards once more.

Bayard turned to Neo, "You're bleeding a tad there Miss Neopolitan." She frowned and adjusted her cards accordingly. "On that note, do you have any jacks?" he asked politely.

She pouted at him and held out the appropriate card. He smiled apologetically and placed the two cards on the table.

"Do you have any aces Bayard?" I asked.

Bayard examined his hand and shook his head, "I'm afraid not."

I smiled in response, "You're bluffing." I told him.

The older man grinned and pulled a king from his hand and handed it to me, I placed it on the table and drew replacement cards before turning to Cola.

The big man considered his hand for a moment, then turned his gaze up to me, "Rowan, do you have any kings?"

I met his gaze and shook my head, "Go fish." I told him.

He looked at me for a bit, opened his mouth to say something, then hesitated. Finally he shrugged and looked back at his hand.

Neo looked at her hand and then looked to me, "Give me the king Rowan." she said plainly.

I grimaced and handed her the card, she gave me a mocking smile and placed it along with its pair in front of her.

Suddenly, Bayard let out a snort, "I say, your face Master Cola!" Cola frowned at him severely and lifted an eyebrow, "Oh don't give me that." he scolded him. "A look of surprise like you had just now is a yelp from anyone else."

Cola rolled his eyes, "I _am_ only human Bayard."

"Oh don't give me that, how long has it been since I or anyone else slipped one past you playing this game of yours?" He pointed at me. "Then right out of the gate, little Rowan pulls the wool over your eyes and then Miss Neopolitan swoops right in and takes the catch instead?" He shook his head and let out a hearty chuckle.

I frowned, "Wait, why am I 'little Rowan', and Neo gets to be called 'Miss Neopolitan'?"

Bayard winked at me, "My new identity when we arrive in Mantle will be the head servant in the household of House Gialatta, with Master Cola as its head. Thus, I now serve Miss Neopolitan as well, as she is the official heir of that house."

Neo gave me a haughty look and I let out a snort, "Yeah, but why am I being called the small one?"

Neo turned her nose up at me with disdain, "I think it's more a term of maturity, girls grow up faster than boys you know."

I raised an eyebrow, "Well, you've clearly neglected the vertical growth part of that statement." I countered.

She smiled at me, "'The best way to make anyone eye level with you is to hit'em hard' that's what-" abruptly her smile faded and she dropped her gaze.

"That's what Keara used to say." I finished for her.

"I wonder if she'd remember anything she told us now." Neo said bitterly.

Before I could say anything, Cola slammed his palm on the table. "Neopolitan," he said softly, "I understand that you are speaking from grief, but that is no way to talk about someone who sacrificed to protect you. Do you understand?"

Neo bit her lip angrily but nodded. Cola let out a sigh and leaned back in his chair.

"Cola?" I asked.

"Hmm?"

"When I talked to Keara… she mistook me for someone named Asher…do you know who that was?"

He looked me in the eyes, "From how you used the word 'was', I think you already have your own suspicions about that." he answered.

"The student that she killed, the one who went on that spree." Cola nodded and I clenched my fists, working up the courage to ask the question that had burned itself into my mind.

"There's something on your mind Rowan, speak up." Cola commanded me, I swallowed nervously, but something in his voice made it impossible to refuse.

"Do… do you think she actually saw some of him… this Asher… in me?"

Cola sighed, "That's not quite the question you wanted to ask, you want to know whether it was those evil pieces that she saw in you."

I bit my lip and nodded, unable to meet his gaze.

Cola leaned back and considered that, "No." he replied, "I think that Asher's memory was at the forefront at that time."

His reassurance flooded me with relief and I visibly shook as I let out a breath that I hadn't even realized I had been holding. Neo reached across and squeezed my hand, her eyes warm, I smiled weakly at her.

"So why do you say that her memory of Asher was at the forefront?" Neo asked him.

Cola sat up, "There was another actor in all of this that she likely didn't mention to you." He explained, "Her name is Scarlett Sedena, and unfortunately, I think you are acquainted with her. White hair, red eyes…"

"Likes fur coats and sharp objects?" I finished and Cola nodded.

"She was a teammate and friend of Asher's. She was an accomplice to his crimes, and joined him in trying to escape the consequences. She likely has held a grudge against Keara ever since his death."

There was silence around the table; suddenly Cola cleared his throat. "In any case, we can save talk like this for another time, come, let's get back to the game."

* * *

We played a few more rounds of Liar's Net, Cola, Neo, and I all trading wins while Bayard calmly resigned himself to loss after loss. We stopped as there was a knock on the door and some crew men entered with some food.

We ate lunch, saying little, when we had finished the food, the crew cleared the dishes, leaving us alone once more.

Cola stood up and stretched, "We'll be arriving at Mantle soon; come." We followed down the hallway and to a room with a large chair in the center that sat across from a giant window.

The large man stood off to the side and gestured to the window, "May I present to you, the city of Mantle."

Neo and I excitedly stepped up to the window and looked down. I don't know what I was expecting to see, despite Kuroi's harsh words, a part of me still thought of images out of a fairy tale. Soaring castles and huge buildings of solid stone that bespoke of an ancient power and strength.

Instead, I frowned as we arrived at a massive structure that only half-resembled a docking port for airships. Juts of metal stuck out haphazardly, and various areas looked like they had suffered extensive damage that almost looked like something large had rammed into them.

I looked past it, a series of train lines extended from the airship docks and to a large wall, beyond which a series of low lying buildings stretched across the horizon. Here and there a building would stand out, standing tall but squat, like large toads. It lacked every bit of the grace and sophistication of Atlas' soaring towers and spires.

Cola seemed to notice my disappointment and he smiled, "Unsightly, isn't it? Unfortunately, due to the high amount of traffic it's nearly impossible to find the time to renovate the docks. Most of the nobility have private docks anyway, so funds to improve the public docking facilities seem to always mysteriously disappear into some family's pet project."

"Do you not have a dock then?" Neo asked him.

He nodded, "I do, several in fact. However, I wish to keep our arrival secret for as long as possible." He held up a finger, "Rule number one while in Mantle, eyes and ears are everywhere; assume nothing is secret unless it's only in your head. As soon as it's spoken or written, assume the worst. Even if we had snuck into one of my docks, there's absolutely no doubt they're being watched. Whereas we may buy ourselves a few hours if we dock in the public docks, where there are far too many ships to easily identify us."

"A few hours to do what?" I asked him.

He tapped his cane idly on the floor, "Honestly, to get you established as much as possible. Once the Board of Directors hears that you've arrived, they'll be demanding a meeting from you. From there, you'll be pulled in a thousand different directions as various factions either attempt to undercut you or play you to their own ends." He waved his cane towards the buildings in the distance. "We will first go to the Laisren family mansion, where you will meet the staff that will be serving as your household staff. I have personally vetted all of them and in particular, Dudley Chaster, your head servant, is well accomplished and has extensive experience as head of security."

There was a knock at the door, "Come in." Cola called.

A crewman stepped in, "We're a few minutes from docking, we've been assigned to bay 332."

Cola nodded, "Very well, thank you." the crewman stepped out and closed the door gently behind him. Cola walked up beside me and placed his massive hand on my shoulder. "I won't lie to you Rowan." He told me, "This is a nest of the most vile and reprehensible people in all of Remnant. In order to survive you will have to beat them, and to achieve greatness, you will have to do more than that."

I looked back up at him, "Well then, I'll just have to crush them."

Looking into Cola's eyes, I could've sworn I saw a glint of pride that he quickly hid, lifting his gaze to look back out the window, "Yes," he admitted, "I suppose you will."

* * *

We docked and made our way down the gangplank and onto the platform, where we were greeted by several men in dark suits. The lead one, a large man with silver hair and a wicked scar over his right eye, bowed as we approached.

"Boss." He said brusquely.

"Hello Argent, I assume you have transport arranged?" Cola led us past them and the man and his companions walked alongside us as we moved into the central hub.

"Train line 43 has suffered a mysterious breakdown and is under maintenance." The man replied.

"Excellent." Cola looked over his shoulder, "Keep close together, don't get separated and keep one of these men in between you and any people we encounter at all times. Do not stop, you are to get to the train if anything happens. Tell the men there that the boss sent you and that the eggs have hatched. Understood?"

Neo and I nodded, her hand found mine and I gripped it tight. Our group was silent as we emerged from the hallway and into a gigantic central hub. Trains whistled and people hurried to and fro as they went to their various destinations. The crowd flowed around our bodyguards, perhaps instinctively sensing that they were not to be trifled with.

We were moving along the tracks when suddenly Neo stopped beside me. I stopped as well and tugged slightly on her hand, "Come on Neo, we can't fall behind."

"That man over there…" she said pointing, I followed her finger and saw a group of Faunus, they were facing what appeared to be several police officers and one of them was shouting angrily. I frowned as I saw one of the Faunus in the back of the group, a man with cat ears and a tail, put on a white mask and reach down for something at his feet.

Suddenly someone grabbed both of us and threw us down the ground. There was a scream and the sound of gunfire rent the air. My head was spinning as the person picked me up and hugged me close and I was dimly aware that Neo was held in a similar grip in the person's other arm. My world for the next few moments was a confused mess of screams, gunfire, and jostling as the person carrying me brutally bulldozed their way through the crowd.

The next thing I knew, I was hurled onto a chair in a train car, I sat there dazed and a few seconds later, Neo was deposited roughly on the seat beside me. I looked up to see Cola standing in front of us, he turned and shouted something at one of the black suited men behind him. The man nodded and pressed a button and with a _whoosh_ , the doors closed, a moment later the train began to move. Soon, the landscape was rushing by as we began towards the city.

Cola leaned forward heavily on his cane and let out a huge sigh. Reviewing the events that had occurred, it dawned on me that it had been Cola who had carried Neo and myself to the train.

"Thank you," I said, then recoiled as he looked up at me, fury in his eyes.

"What did I tell you?" He hissed at me. "Not to stop, to keep moving and get to the train no matter what, that's what I told you, didn't I?"

"I-" I began but he cut me off.

" _Didn't I?_ " He shouted

"Yes." I replied miserably.

"Don't ever, _ever_ , disobey me like that again, understood?"

I bristled slightly at his tone, and I began to protest, but quailed under the fire that burned like an inferno in his eyes.

"Yes sir." I answered.

Cola stood staring at me for a moment, then he sighed again and sat down heavily in the chair across from me. "I apologize for losing my temper." He said, "However, it is imperative that you are kept safe. Whatever I tell you, it is entirely for your own protection."

Beside him, Bayard gave a gasp, "Sir, you're wounded." My heart dropped as I followed his gaze to see several holes puckered in the right arm of Cola's suit, blood oozed out, staining the cloth surrounding them.

Cola waved him away with his good hand, "I'm fine, it's just the prosthetic."

The moment is still locked in my mind. _Wait what?_ I had thought, as he took off his suit, handing it to Bayard. He then rolled up the white dress shirt underneath, revealing a dark, muscular arm. He reached up to his right shoulder and fiddled with it for a moment. He gave a sharp twist, there was a popping noise and his arm detached completely. He placed the limb on the seat and I gasped as I saw glints of metal in the bullet wounds. I looked back up at the man and he gave me a rueful grin, "The perks of being wealthy." he said and he gestured to the arm. "At a glance you'd never be able to tell it wasn't the real thing, costs an arm and a leg of course.."

Bayard gave a huff, and Cola turned to him, his grin widening to a smile, "Come on Bayard, you know I so rarely get to do puns on the arm. I have to take advantage of the situation at hand."

Neo let out a giggle, and I chuckled, that opened the floodgate, soon Neo, Cola, and I were all howling with laughter. Bayard rolled his eyes, but grinned as he watched as all of the tension and adrenaline wash out of us in a wave.

Cola was the first to regain his composure, wiping away a tear of mirth, he slapped his knee, "Alright then, Bayard, my tools if you please. Rowan, Neo, come watch, you'll never know when this will come…"

"In handy." Neo and I chimed in unison.

Bayard glared at Cola balefully as he pulled a small toolkit out of one of the bags that he was carrying, "Really Master Cola, see what you've done now?"

Cola's merely chuckled in reply as he opened up the toolkit and pulled out a pair of pliers.

* * *

It felt a little surreal helping Cola perform repairs on his arm. The limb was eerily lifelike, and only when it was opened to reveal the machinery within did it it begin to feel more like repairing machinery rather than surgery.

First we withdrew the bullets themselves, fortunately, the ammunition had been of relatively poor quality, and only a few actually lodged themselves in the inner layer that contained the actual nuts and bolts of the machinery.

As we worked, Cola answered some of my more technical questions on the designs, which I found fascinating, I've always been good with my hands, and he even let me handle some of the more minor circuitry repair where a bullet had penetrated particularly deep. I frowned as I examined the offending projectile, it was different than the others. Whereas they had shattered slightly on impact, this one was completely intact, it was made out a darker metal as well, I held it up for Cola to see.

"Hey Cola, take a look at this."

Cola frowned and took the bullet from my grasp. "This isn't uncommon actually." he explained. "In order to save money, people will buy cheaper ammunition and then seed the magazines with higher quality ammunition as well. It's a particularly common tactic with burst rifles."

I accepted the explanation and began working on repairing the wires, cutting out some of the damaged ones and re-aligning others. It was as I was repairing the wires controlling the right thumb that Neo asked quietly, "So how did you lose your arm?"

"Cut a little further on that one Rowan, what was that Neopolitan?"

"Your arm, how did you lose it?" she repeated.

Cola seemed to think about that for a moment, then sighed, "When I was young, I made a lot of enemies. My rapid entrance into the crime world of Atlas was seen as a threat, and some of those people had powerful Semblance users, very powerful. So I needed an edge, and I found it in the form of an ancient weapon, said to be as old as the discovery of Dust itself."

"What kind of weapon?" I asked, looking up from my work.

"A weapon of unspeakable power… and an unspeakable evil, a weapon that was said to have been forged by taking the essence of a Grimm far more powerful than exist today. It's name, is Basmune. It's power is such that it pierces the strongest armor, devours Aura, and some say the very soul of whomever fall victim to it.

He looked at the arm lying on the chair, "Using it, I managed to fight my way to the top, but it came at a heavy price. The weapon is not an inanimate thing, and as it is used, its hunger grows. In the end, it devoured my arm, and only through sheer luck did it not take more."

He shrugged, "I haven't used it since." he said.

We were quiet for a long time, "So where is it now?" Neo asked him.

"Someplace safe." Cola answered, "Someplace where I can be sure that no one uses it for their own ends."

He looked down at my progress, "Stop there Rowan, you're doing a good job, but this next part is very delicate, Bayard?"

I stepped back as Bayard deftly grabbed some wire and a soldering iron and bent over the arm. A short while later, he closed up the arm, picked it up, and handed it to Cola. Cola grabbed it and pushed it onto his shoulder and twisted. There was a sharp clicking noise and a brief spat of electricity sparked around where the arm met the shoulder. The arm spasmed briefly and Cola grimaced, then it fell still and Cola began rotating it.

He nodded in satisfaction, "There, good as new." He turned to Bayard, "Call Argent in please." Bayard stood up, bowed, and then walked out of the train compartment.

"So who were those guys at the station?" Neo asked.

"I have several theories." Cola said, "However, Argent will have had some of his men collecting information. Ah, Argent."

The silver haired man stepped into the compartment, he bowed, "Boss, Bayard says we'll be arriving at the Tundra district in seven minutes and forty-three seconds."

"Thank you, Argent. Do you have a report on the train station incident?"

Argent pulled a scroll out of his pocket and handed it to Cola, "This is an initial list we've managed to gather of the groups involved in the attack at the station. All are Faunus, and most of them are registered members of the White Fang. The gunmen themselves all wore masks, and we're working on retrieving surveillance footage, but someone corrupted the feed just before the attack."

"Hmm…" Cola rubbed his chin as he examined the scroll, "then this was no random incident. Have the White Fang really become so bold? Correct me if I'm wrong, but this kind of attack is unprecedented."

Argent nodded, "They've certainly been growing bolder. You're right though, this is on another level than anything we've seen before. My men counted at least ten other gunmen hidden around the station, they targeted officers first, then moved onto some civilian targets."

Cola frowned, "Any particular targeting method for the civilian targets?"

The silver-haired man shook his head, "Negative, they appeared rather indiscriminate, although we'll have to analyze further to see if there's some connection that wasn't readily apparent."

"Do so, give me a report with your own findings, as well as a list of targets."

"Um… Mister Cola?" Neo interjected.

"Yes, Neopolitan?"

"The man that was in that group, the one that fired first, he wasn't a Faunus."

There was silence in the train car.

"How could you tell?" Cola asked her.

Neo bit her lip, "Well, Faunus only have one physical trait that is animal-like right?"

Argent nodded, "That is correct."

"That man, he had cat ears and a tail." She explained.

"Hmm…" Cola leaned back in his chair.

"Probably trying to conceal his identity." Argent pointed out, "perhaps even a Faunus with a different animal trait entirely?"

Cola nodded, "That's true, but what Neopolitan is saying could give this attack entirely new meaning. Make sure to include both sides of speculation in your report."

Argent bowed, "Yes sir."

Cola turned back to Neo, "Very good eye Neopolitan, well done."

She flushed at the praise, Cola looked back down at the scroll and grunted. "It looks like we'll be arriving at the station soon."

Right on cue, the train slid to a stop, the door opened and we followed Argent out of the train and were immediately flanked by eight of the men in black suits. They escorted us off of the platform and to the street where four large, black cars were waiting. Bayard walked up to one of them and pulled out a strange handheld device. He paced around the car, waving the device over it and dropping to his knees to check under the car. He then opened the passenger door and leaned inside for a while, before sliding back out.

He nodded to Cola and stepped to the side, holding the door open. Cola beckoned for us to follow and got inside the car, we did so and Bayard closed the door behind us. He then walked back around and got into the driver's seat and started up the car. Soon we were driving through the wide streets, Neo and I gawking at the huge mansions that flanked either side.

As I would quickly learn, Mantle was like this in every regard. The public docks were a wreck, the slums were absolutely horrific and any public facility not serving the elite were an eyesore. The homes and facilities of the wealthy though, were beyond compare of anything I've seen to this day. We passed palace after palace; each a different color and design, all beautiful and opulent beyond belief.

Finally we stopped outside a massive white building beyond a large-wrought iron gate. I frowned, the building was strange; while the front was beautiful, with graceful carvings and statues aplenty. In the center was a series of scaffolds and walkways that jutted upward. My eyes made out what appeared to be an airship amidst it all, and as I saw that, I knew exactly where we were.

Cola looked down at me and smiled, "Welcome home Rowan."

We drove past the gates and got out of the cars, and Cola frowned as a man in a blue uniform walked imperiously out the front door, followed closely by a short man with a fading hairline, who was wringing his hands nervously.

"Good afternoon, you are Cola Gialatta? Godfather to Rowan Laisren?" the man asked.

Cola raised an eyebrow, "I am, and who would you be?"

He reached into his uniform and pulled out a letter, "I am a representative from Gavin Laisren, he asks for you to meet him two hours hence at the restaurant Premiere Parte, he said you knew the table."

Cola took the letter and gave it a bemused look, "Really, would it kill you people to upgrade to this century?"

The messenger simply shrugged in response. Cola opened the letter and read it, his eyes moving rapidly across the page, when he was finished he looked back up at the messenger, whose haughty demeanor visibly wavered under his gaze.

"Tell him that we will be there." Cola spat, and thrust the letter back to him, the messenger bowed and walked off with a little more haste than was dignified.

"Wait… Gavin _Laisren_?" I asked.

Cola sighed heavily as he tapped his cane on the ground, "Indeed, I had hoped to delay this a little longer, but that appears to not be in the cards." He turned to me, "It's time you met the head of the board of directors of Laisren Air Manufactory; Gavin Finnegan Laisren… your uncle."


	12. Chapter 12

Journal Entry 279

An uncle… a living family member; I had remembered having nothing of the sort. My parents had kept me confined within the mansion, interacting only with the servants and themselves. Truth be told, I had never really be interested in the existence of any living family members. Oh sure, when I had been at the mines I had daydreamed about living happily with a family, with warm food and soft beds. A place where children didn't scream from a suit malfunction crushing their bones as the cockpit collapsed in on itself, or get roasted alive by a Red Dust explosion.

But over time, as the grim reality set in, I accepted that they were just fantasies that would never come to pass. It was probably that acceptance more than anything else that brought me so close to ending it all. Then, when I had Neo, their images paled in comparison to the real time that I spent with her, reading to her from "The Tale of the Four Knights" and teaching her to read herself. Then I had Keara and Kyoko, who I suppose had been as much as a mother to me as my real mother had been.

It's a damn shame my time with all of them had been cut short...

Anyway… I just hadn't even considered the possibility that I actually had living family members. Cola had never mentioned it, and I had never asked, so it never come up. As I would learn, Gavin Finnegan Laisren was indeed my uncle by virtue of being my mother's brother. Cola explained to me that my father, originally named Jett Aldana had actually taken my mother's last name, as was the custom of his clan; which were a small, reclusive group that lived on a small island called Kaga off the coast of Mistral.

At first I had felt a feeling of elation, but then what Cola had told me all those years ago came creeping back into my mind. About how the Board of Directors of Laisren Aerial Manufactory would likely have killed me when I was young and powerless.

And Gavin Laisren was the head of that very same group. I never asked Cola whether Gavin would have been one of the people spearheading the effort… I'm not sure if that was out of kindness; or some cruel lesson that not even blood could be trusted.

* * *

The next hour was a whirlwind of activity, Cola introduced me to the short balding man who had been following the messenger, "This is Dudley Chaster, he's your head butler." the man had bowed to me.

"It is good to finally meet you, Master Laisren." he told me.

Cola swept past him, "Come, we haven't much time."

I followed Cola past the large oaken doors and was vaguely aware of servants stopping their work to bow to us as we passed. I stopped for a moment in the doorway, staring in amazement at the grandiosity of the room. Large paintings of mountains and forests lined the walls, and the center of the room was dominated by a single enormous statue of an eagle with its wings outstretched. Flanking the statue were two staircases that led to the upper floor.

Cola gave a soft cough to grab my attention, I blushed and continued to follow him as he went up the stairs. "We'll have to make you presentable for the meeting." he murmured as we walked.

"I'm guessing my uncle isn't asking for a familial visit."

"No indeed," replied Cola as we reached the top of the stairs and turned left down a corridor. "When we declared you officially as the heir to the Laisren name, the expectation is that you would be taking over the company as your birthright. However, your uncle has declared you unfit to take over, citing your age and lack of full education."

I thought about that for a moment, "Which leaves me sidelined, he'll probably try to establish himself as a kind of mentor figure, likely in some kind of legal guardianship role. Which of course will only be seen as natural, he's my uncle and is head of the board of directors."

Cola nodded, "Which essentially means that it will be significantly harder for you to find political standing. No one will want to anger him by allying themselves with you politically; he and his cronies will isolate you and ensure that you never come into your own."

I took a while to take all of that in, "All right… so how will he seek to prove that I'm 'unfit'?"

"On the matter of age, he has no real legal standing." Cola replied, "due to several precedents set by the nobility it will be a moot point."

"So that leaves education."

Cola nodded, "Keara gave me frequent reports on the progress of your education. Currently, you are already well qualified in mathematics and engineering, which she had you concentrate on as per my orders. Fortunately those are almost certainly the only subjects he will test you on."

"How do you think he will test me?" I asked.

Cola opened a door and ushered me inside, "I can't guess the specifics, but likely he will invite a neutral observer, maybe even an engineer from the manufactory. Then he will test you on the appropriate subjects. Fortunately the man himself has only a passing knowledge of engineering, he can only get so tricky."

I entered the room and gasped as I saw a series of large wardrobes. Cola smiled at my reaction and walked up to one of them and opened it. "I had been hoping to be able to give you this gift with a little more ceremony." he said as he reached inside of it. "After all, a man's first real suit is a thing to be treasured." He pulled out a white suit with red on the inside of the lapel, he then reached in once more and pulled out a pair of long black dress pants.

"We will have to tailor them to fit of course." He clapped his hands and two smartly dressed men entered and bowed. He nodded at them, "These two will get you fixed up. When you are ready, Bayard and I will be in the room two doors down." He turned to Neo, "Neopolitan, if you will come with me, I have a present for you as well." She followed him out the door, and shut it behind them.

The two men bowed to me once more and I tensed up subconsciously; after all, my last visit with a tailor hadn't exactly ended well. One of them walked up to a door between the wardrobes and opened it to reveal a small room with some mirrors on the walls. "You may change in here, Master Laisren," he said. "Just call us in when you are ready to be fitted."

I walked inside and he closed the door behind me. I changed into the suit, fumbling with a couple of the buttons as my hands shook with anticipation. When I had put it on, I turned and preened at the result.

The suit was incredible, the cloth was light, yet strangely durable. The design had a kind of dashing charm to it; which might seem normally awkward and ill-fitting because of my youthful appearance. However, its creator, genius that he or she was, had kept seemingly kept that in mind. They had used the stark, yet simple contrast of black and white to prevent it from being too gaudy or bold, giving it an added flair with the red inside the collar. It managed to achieve a kind of genuine glamor that made me look how I felt; confident, dashing, perhaps even-

A knock on the door got me out of my trance, "I'm sorry, you can come in." I called, feeling slightly flustered.

The men entered and set to work in silence, their movements quick and efficient as they measured and cinched up some areas that weren't quite right. After what seemed like moments they stepped back and bowed, "Is everything satisfactory Master Laisren?" one of them asked.

I twisted and turned, rotating my shoulders to make sure it wasn't tight anywhere. "It's excellent, thank you." I replied.

They bowed once more, "You are too kind Master Laisren. We will inform Mister Gialatta that you are ready."

It took me a moment to realize they were talking about Cola. On a whim, I waved them off, "No need, I want to surprise him."

They bowed, "Very well, by your leave then?"

"What? Oh yeah, you can go… thank you."

They stood up as one and left me standing there alone. I grinned as I looked at myself once more; a most dashing visage if I do say so myself. I walked into the hall and began walking towards the door that Cola had indicated before. I frowned as I heard hushed tones coming from the room and I stopped, straining to hear.

"... no news on the attack at the train station I'm afraid." Bayard's voice echoed softly.

I heard Cola grunt in reply, "By that I assume you mean no useful news."

"Unfortunately… the city police report is already condemning the White Fang and promising strict sanctions against them. The White Fang is denying any responsibility for the attack."

Cola snorted "Which one?"

I frowned. What did Cola mean by that?

"You know damn well which one. You didn't even let Rowan know about the other one." Bayard replied. "It's a damned miracle that you saw that sniper in time."

My blood ran cold as digested those words, and I leaned in closer as Cola let out a sigh.

"I almost didn't even act." he said softly. "After all, if those gunmen had been all there was to it, Neopolitan could have taken care of it in her sleep… then I saw the glint of that barrel… Has Argent gotten any leads on it?"

"None I'm afraid, do you think Gavin could've have been behind it?"

"No, Rowan dying at this point would be a loss of face for him. He'll defeat the boy politically at this point, not assassinate him."

There was a pause, then Bayard spoke, so quietly I had to practically put my ear to the door. "Why didn't you tell him?"

"Hmm?"

"Rowan… why didn't you tell him about the sniper? Instead you came up with that cock and bull about saving money on ammunition."

"It's not technically false."

"Come off it; you're lucky the boy wasn't savvy enough to check the angle of the bullet entry, or else he would have realized it had to be a different shooter. Now, why did you lie to him?"

Cola didn't answer, and the room was silent again. Finally Bayard sighed, "Damn it Nicholas… it's your pride… isn't it?"

Nicholas? I blinked in surprise, it had never occurred to me that Cola worked under a fake name.

Cola didn't respond, and Bayard continued, "You want Rowan to look at you and know he's safe… I saw how you looked at him… you may have only adopted Neopolitan, but I know you think of both of them as your children."

My heart filled with a strange, giddy feeling, then Bayard's next words brought me crashing back down.

"But he's not safe… is he? As much as you want to deny it, he nearly died today at the train station. Keeping things like that from him isn't going to help him survive."

"As soon as this meeting goes through and Rowan takes control of the Manufactory, that will change. People won't be able to strike at him nearly as boldly. Gavin knows that, that's one of the reasons he's calling the meeting."

"So you're convinced that he wants to keep the boy alive?"

"Now that he's proven to be Ciara's son? Yes… the man is a cretin, but he won't go as far as to assassinate his own nephew, not when it will result in him losing face as well."

My mind abruptly became a clouded haze; that was reasonable. Of course it was, but there was something else that they had been talking about but that didn't matter no-

Bayard let out a snarl, snapping me out of it, "Quit sidetracking me with your damn Semblance, you owe me more than tha-"

I nearly jumped as I heard something slam heavily, "Damn it Bayard." I heard Cola hiss, "What do you want me to do? To tell him that even with all my strength, that I was almost powerless to protect him? That these two attacks are only the tip of the iceberg? Should I tell him of the pile of other dead fools that have tried to kill him? Or that Serroi is far from the only one that wants him dead in this viper's nest of a city? I don't want him to become a paranoid wreck, not when everything depends on him being bold and crashing out onto the political scene like a rampaging Goliath."

There was silence once more. "I know that, but I think you're underestimating him. Remember, this is the same boy that had already almost escaped that hell hole in a rigged up mining suit. He's far more brave and resourceful than you're giving him credit for."

"His mother was one of the bravest and most resourceful people I knew." Cola said bitterly, "Look what happened to her."

Bayard let out a tired groan and I heard a scrape as somebody got out of a chair, "Anyway, we shouldn't speak of such things. Rowan and Neopolitan should be arriving any moment now. Just please: promise me you'll at least consider what I said?"

I heard Cola give a sour grunt in reply and I chose that moment to timidly knock on the door.

"Come in." Cola called. I stepped inside and smiled as I presented myself. Cola stood up from his chair and I couldn't help but notice the wooden armrest was broken in two; but the large man's frame quickly moved in front so that I only caught a glimpse.

"Very nice. Once more Aeneous does fantastic work." He approached and tapped my chest with his cane. "You will find the cloth comfortable and light without compromising resilience. It has a steel weave blended with a Dust cocktail to give the wearer protection, while staying most stylish."

I nodded appreciatively, "It's fantastic, thank you" I said.

He smiled and grabbed me by the shoulder, "Come, we should check on how Neopolitan's fitting is going."

We found Neopolitan still being fitted, she glanced over to me and smiled in greetings, but she seemed tense somehow. I frowned as I watched the servants worked, they seemed nervous and their movements, while sure, seemed to be avoiding contact with her as much as possible. Cola tapped his cane impatiently on the floor, causing them to start.

"This appears to be taking longer than expected…" he remarked, an unspoken question lingering in the words.

One of the servants turned and bowed, "It… it is nothing sir, we shall have her ready in just a moment."

Cola frowned, "What is it you're not telling me." he asked and I had a brief panic as the desire to tell him about my eavesdropping came over me. I grit my teeth and concentrated hard and the feeling passed as quickly as it had come.

The servant's eyes went unfocused and she pointed back at Neopolitan, "Well, you see sir… she's a Dihex, it's bad luck to-"

I stepped forward in a sudden burst of rage, "You will cease with that nonsense immediately!" I hissed. "Get this completed quickly and expertly, or a very real case bad luck will manifest itself in the loss of your employment, understood?"

The servant snapped her eyes back into focus and they bowed, flustered. "Yes sir, sorry for the delay, sir."

They went back to work, this time almost being rough in how quickly they worked, as though they wanted to avoid any bad luck by making their encounter with Neo as brief as possible. I grit my teeth, Dihex… it had been years since I had heard those words, or even really considered them. It did however, complicate things, if she was to accompany me in any social situations, it could be used against us. On the other hand, it was different, and would make her stand out… could that maybe be used to our advantage?

Cola cleared his throat and I looked up to see that he was examining me, as though he guessed at what I had been thinking. "If you want my opinion, I would say let it be. A yojimbo is meant to be a figure as much of dread as refinement. Such a superstition surrounding her will likely prove to more than a boon than a curse. Anyone who uses it against you would be against you anyway, regardless of whether she disguised it or not."

I smiled and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Neo sag with relief. By the Maidens, had that been why she had been so tense? I gave Cola a nod, "Thank you Cola, your advice is much appreciated." I turned back to the two servants. "We will be waiting outside, I expect this to be done shortly." I glared at them, letting my words sink it, "Is that clear?" I asked them.

The two of them paled and bowed deeply before turning back to their work with quick, bordering on frenzied movements. I sighed and walked outside, Cola followed and closed the door behind us.

A few moments later, the door opened and the two servants walked into the hall and bowed. "You may go." I told them curtly. I watched with some vindictive pleasure as they practically tripped over themselves getting away. Then I looked back toward the room and I stared as Neo walked out into the hall.

She was dressed in a white jacket that covered her chest before flowing down her back, her stomach was covered by black fabric and she had black pants that-

Look, even as I write this, I know it's not coming out right; there's no describing the feelings that washed over me as I looked at her. For the first time I saw her not only as the lifelong friend, as the one who I wanted to be by my side for all my life… I saw her as a woman, and a drop dead gorgeous one at that.

So of course, like men everywhere, my brain shut down completely and left a gibbering frenzy in its wake.

"You look uh… good." I finally managed to get out.

She arched an eyebrow, "Well look at you, really using that vocabulary."

I opened my mouth to make some kind of pithy reply, but my mind was completely blank, I finally just shrugged.

"Hey!" Neo clapped her hands in front of my face, startling me. "I can't be having you fall asleep on me; it's my job to win the real fights, you're the one who's supposed to win the wordy ones. You can't go zero for one against your own yojimbo!"

"That was merely a phenomenal serendipity." I replied.

She threw up her hands, "See, I don't even know what that means." She turned to Cola, "Do you know what that means?"

Cola gave a lazy smile, "He said that your coup was merely fortuitous happenstance."

"Okay, that's better. Now if we're done standing around, let's get going!" She turned and began walking briskly down the hallway.

I stared after her for a bit frowning, "What was that about?" I whispered.

Beside me I heard Cola murmur under his breath, "...for sake, she stole my breath, my mind, and so I am left the fool in the angel's arms." he chuckled and began following her down the hall.

"Wait, what was that?" I asked him.

Cola merely laughed in reply as he twirled his cane idly.

* * *

We got into the car and drove to what appeared to be an older portion of the city, although the age only seemed to add a kind of strange regalness. Where the place lacked Atlas' modern look, there was a certain energy to the place that lent itself to an ancient glory day whose spirit yet lingered.

Bayard whispered something and Cola turned to face me, "Rowan, I will enter the restaurant with you, but once we arrive, you will be on your own. Do you understand?" I nodded, my heart in my throat. "Good, when you are ready to be picked up, use your scroll to call this number." He handed me a piece of paper with the words Proteger Personal Transport and a number written underneath it. "It is a respected transportation company; you and Neo are currently registered as clients, and I would recommend using them for any public affairs."

I stared at the paper as I digested what he was saying, "Then… you're leaving?"

I saw something like pain flit across his eyes, "I have matters to attend to back in Atlas, so unfortunately, yes, I will have to leave you for a time. Do not worry, I am leaving you in capable hands."

We arrived outside a large establishment with a large red awning out front, Bayard parked the car and went around to open my door for me. Neo and I slipped out and I nodded my head to him in thanks, I looked up to see bright golden letters, 'Premiere Parte."

I lowered my gaze to a set of wooden oak doors where a crisply dressed man was standing by. Cola walked forward and the man opened the door. Neo and I followed him past the doors and into the restaurant, the sound of smooth jazz echoed softly throughout, welcoming our presence as we stepped inside.

A man in a maitre'd outfit stepped forward and Cola leaned down to whisper something to him, the man bowed slightly and Cola turned to me. "This man will show you to the table, Mister Laisren."

I nodded to him appreciatively and followed as the man weaved his way past servers and tables. Finally, we arrived at a set of wooden doors painted velvet. He knocked on the the door with three sharp raps. "Yes?" A deep, gruff voice sounded from within; the man opened it and stuck his head inside.

"Pardon me Mr. Laisren, but Rowan Laisren has arrived."

"Bring him in him then, my good man! I haven't got all day."

The man bowed, then stepped out of my way, I took a deep breath and walked inside, a confident smile plastered on my face.

A large man with red hair and dark, beady eyes was sat at the table, his gaze followed me as I walked to the seats across from him. Beside him was a short, balding man with wide, blue eyes behind a pair of large spectacles. I nodded to the large man, "Uncle!" I guessed, "good to finally meet you."

The man gave a loud harrumph and he stood up, "Indeed, it pleases me to no end to see you alive and well, Rowan." He stuck out his hand and we shook, his grip strong despite the apparent flabbiness of his arms. He nodded to the short, balding man who stood up beside him, "This here is Sunil, he's one of our senior engineers at the manufactory. He's here to act as a neutral observer."

The man bowed slightly to me, and I nodded back to him, my smile still on my face, but my thoughts were racing. The man was older, certainly old enough to be around during my mother's time; he also seemed incredibly bored by the proceedings, although he was trying to hide it behind a meek exterior. There was something more behind how he was looking at me though, a spark… as though of some kind of expectation? I wasn't sure what to make of it.

Gavin cleared his throat and I turned my gaze back to him, "Let's get right down to it shall we?" He rubbed his palms together and reached toward a briefcase beside him.

Neo reached for her umbrella and stepped slightly forward, as though ready to intervene if necessary.

Gavin paused and frowned, his chins scrunching up as his eyes wandered over her, "And who might this young lady be?"

I indicated Neo with a hand, "This is Neopolitan of the Merchant Nobility House of Gialatta; she is serving as my yojimbo."

Gavin's eyes narrowed, "Someone so young? Really nephew, there are far more experienced and renowned yojimbo whose services we could acquire; you have no need to pick up rubbish off the streets."

"Neopolitan was trained by some of the finest instructors in Remnant." I told him, trying to keep my voice pleasant. "She's just as qualified as any of those yojimbo; in addition I trust her with my life, and there's no amount of experience that can compare to that."

Gavin rolled his eyes, "Really nephew, quite a touching speech. However, it is this kind of naivete that worries me so much about you taking over at such a young age. It is much wiser to go with a known quantity, leave others to find out if someone's training prepared them adequately or not. It matters not if you trust them if they fall against the first thug that threatens your well-being." He bent down once more and picked up the briefcase and set it on the table.

"Neopolitan has already helped save my life once already; I have selected her as my yojimbo and that is the final word on the matter." I replied.

My uncle smile looked forced as he opened the briefcase, "Well, if you're so certain of her prowess, then I'm sure once I take guardianship that we can find her a position somewhere that she can be of use." he pulled out a sheet of paper and a couple of pencils.

"You seem rather certain of the outcome." I remarked as I reached for the materials.

Neo snatched them before I could and pulled out a strip of tape that she then pressed against each of the pages before inserting it into a strange black box. She peered at it for a second then nodded to me, "They're clean." she told me.

I raised an eyebrow, and made a note to ask her when the hell she had learned that before taking the paper and pencils. I also made a mental note to tell her that maybe she shouldn't test for contact poisons when the person handing the stuff to me weren't wearing gloves. It seemed to me like detection at that point would maybe come by the person falling over or something.

Gavin gave a loud huff, "Really? You think I would stoop to poisoning my own nephew? Have you no decency?"

Neo bowed slightly to him, "Of course not, it's just that we've already had one encounter already in the short time we've been here. As Rowan's yojimbo, I would rather not take any chances. I'm sorry if my actions gave offense."

Gavin raised his eyebrows, "Well, she speaks well, I'll give you that." He waved at her dismissively, "While your actions were unseemly, I will forgive you for my nephew's sake."

"Thank you uncle, now, as to this test of yours…"

Gavin sat back down and motioned for me to do the same.

"It's quite simple really." he said as Neo and I sat down. "You will solve a theoretical problem for me concerning the engineering involved in the design of airships. While simple enough for those versed in the field; it is still fairly advanced. Sunil here will attest that my question is valid in terms of testing your education."

The short man nodded, although I could tell that he was barely paying attention to our conversation.

I examined the pencils, testing their sharpness and twirled one of them idly, "Alright, let's have it then."

"Demonstrate to me how you would calculate the amount of Dust required for an acceleration from hover to 900 kilometers per hour." he said, his fingers steepled in front of his face.

I frowned, "What's the Dust mixture?" I asked him.

Gavin seemed momentarily flummoxed, "Assume Red Dust base, inferno 60%, 10% burn, 5% steam, 10% ice, 10% kinetic crystals, 5% gravity." Sunil rattled off as he picked at the remains of some food on his plate.

Gavin frowned, "But you don't need to know all of that to solve the equation… do you? It's just a theoretical problem."

I shrugged, "Well sure, but that seems kind of boring doesn't it? If I'm really Ciara's son, I should be able to do more than just put some letters together. Now, what's the engine type?"

Gavin looked helplessly at Sunil, "Three circuit ignition." the balding man said, although I could see that he seemed little more interested than he had before.

"Okay then, that means around 91 percent efficiency," I murmured. "What's the mass of the airship?"

Sunil pondered that for a moment, "8320 kilograms." he responded.

I rose an eyebrow, "So basically a Pisces-class airship then?" I asked.

That got Sunil's eyes to light up, "Yes, that would be the one." he responded.

"Okay then, that means that the wind resistance would be calculated… oh shoot, what wing configuration?" I asked.

Sunil put down his fork and leaned forward slightly, "Assume going into assault."

I gave him a toothy grin, "Not going to go easy on me are you?"

"Your mother never did back down from a challenge." he said, then seemed to instantly regret it as he recoiled a bit back into his chair. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"

"You knew my mother then?" I asked him.

He nodded sadly, "Many of the senior engineers did… she would work alongside us night and day; to the point where I think she was at the manufactory more than we were. The woman designed airships like we mortals breathe." he lowered his gaze, "Begging your pardon sir, but that look in your eyes reminded me of her just now..."

"Well, let me assure you that I got more from her than my looks." I told him with a smile, "If she wouldn't back down from a challenge, then neither will I. Now, if the wings are going into assault mode, then wind resistance will change over time, so we have to calculate it like this…" I worked in quick and confident strokes, the figures rushing out from my pencil as my time as a student under both Keara and my mother bore fruit.

Gavin had looked lost before, but now as Sunil and I were firing back and forth with numbers, formulas and specifications he gave up completely, withdrawing behind a sullen scowl. Food came and went, Sunil and I barely touching it as we worked. I lost all track of time and when until finally I put down my pencil I had a brief moment of surprise as I noticed that hours had passed without my noticing.

"Here you go uncle." I said as I passed over the paper, my uncle gave a start as Sunil prodded him, waking him from the sleep he had fallen into. He threw a sour glare at the two of us, but took the paper and pencils, putting them back into the briefcase. "I believe that I've passed your test, what do you say Sunil?"

The balding man stood up from his chair and bowed at the waist, "It will be an honor to work under you, Mister Laisren."

* * *

We left shortly afterward, my uncle silently seething as we exited the room, his beady eyes staring after us. We went outside the restaurant and Neo turned to me, "Well, I guess I know why you've got such a big head if you have to fit all of that inside of it." she remarked.

"I am a genius after all." I replied as I called the transportation service to pick us up.

"How do you remember all of that?" she asked me.

I frowned, "I don't know actually." I admitted, "I just… look at something and I just remember it." I shrugged, "It's just always been that way, I've never really questioned why."

She shook her head, "Well, I guess that came in handy today." she leaned in. "You did good today, Rowan, I'm proud of you."

I flushed a little, "Thanks." I replied as a black car came by with 'Proteger Private Transport' written on the side. It stopped and a tall woman stepped out and opened the door for us.

We slid into the back and the driver closed the door and got back into the driver's seat, "Where to, Mister Laisren?" she asked.

"To the Laisren Estate if you would please." I told her.

We arrived back at the mansion to find Dudley waiting for us, he bowed and opened the doors for us. "Mister Laisren, rooms have been prepared upstairs for you and Missus Gialatta."

"Thank you, Dudley." I said as we walked down the entry hall.

The short man cleared his throat, "Sir, there is another matter that has arisen."

I sighed, "And just what matter is that?"

"I believe, sir, that you have been formally invited to a party," he replied as he held out a sheet of paper toward me.


	13. Chapter 13

**Thanks to TehGramerPolise and MasterofBones for their help with this chapter**

* * *

Journal Entry 280

In order to have a good party, once must meet two requirements: a rising star, and a casualty.' Tamei Saksan, political mastermind of Mantle in the years preceding the Great War is the one who said that. The man single-handedly brought the powerful and obstinate nobles to heel under the power of the king once and for all, ending decades of internal strife. The quote was attributed to him after a dinner party in which he masterfully brought an ancient household to its knees in a single evening.

Mantle had no shortage of good parties… and my first would be no exception.

* * *

I sat down heavily on the couch in one of the luxurious living rooms, "All right, so I've been invited to a party, by whom?"

Dudley cleared his throat, "Lord Elector Harkin, sir." He replied candidly.

My eyes narrowed, "Lord _Elector_ Harkin… hmmm…" I recalled everything I had learned about House Harkin. They were a military family, first and foremost, having been a major player in the Great War, serving with distinction. They were notable in that they had opposed the Vacuan invasion, citing the difficulty of logistics and favoring keeping the war concentrated on the campaign in Vale. In the end, the King of Mantle had ignored their counsel, but had not forced their forces to accompany him. That meant that after the Great War, they and their client houses had remained relatively intact, allowing them to consolidate power as one of the High Nobility Electors.

"What's the occasion?" I asked Dudley, he looked down at the letter in his hand.

"' Salutations, scion of the most prestigious House of Laisren.'" He read, "'I pray that this letter finds you well, and cordially invite you to the Spring's Feast Banquet, to be held six days hence. Enclosed is a form for your reply. Lord Elector Roth Harkin.'"

"Hmmm. Spring's Feast Banquet? That's a bit redundant isn't it?" Neo asked from where she stood to the side.

I shrugged, "It might be a bit at that, the more important point is whether we can find out if anyone important is attending this event." I pulled out my scroll and quickly typed in Cola's number, there was a short ring, and then Cola's face appeared on the screen.

"Ah, Rowan, how did the meeting with your uncle go?" He asked.

I grinned, "I believe that I exceed his expectations." I replied, slightly smug.

His mouth quirked into a grin, "I see. Congratulations are in order then. Why have you called?"

"I've been invited to a Spring's Feast Banquet by a Lord Elector Roth Harkin." I informed him.

His eyebrows raised in surprise, "Hmm… that's interesting… how did the letter address you?"

"It simply referred to me as the 'scion of the most prestigious House of Laisren'." I replied.

He let out a sigh of relief, "Good, then he's hedging his bets, he knows that you've arrived in Mantle, but doesn't necessarily know how the meeting with your uncle proceeded. That would have meant that his network was far larger than I had believed." He scratched his chin, "I assume that you want some information before you make a move, is that correct?"

I nodded, "I know about the history of the Houses, but absolutely nothing about the political landscape." I told him, "He's an Elector, but that could just mean he's an Elector who is politically isolated and is grasping for allies."

Cola nodded, "It's good that you're aware of the possibility, however…" He shook his head, "I can tell you only two things. The first is that he's by no means isolated; the Electors at this time are currently divided, their allegiances shifting from issue to issue. The next however, is that this banquet is of no real consequence; it's an event where the younger men and women of the High and Merchant Nobility intermingle. You will make no real statement by going there."

There was a voice in the background and he grimaced, "I'm afraid that I have not been paying the strictest attention to the younger of the nobility and so my information is patchy at best. Just don't make any real enemies or allies there and you'll be fine. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go." The transmission cut out and I put the scroll away.

"Huh, well so much for that." Neo said.

I felt strangely deflated, and to be honest, a little lost; Cola had always been there to guide me on every matter. Now… I was largely on my own. "I guess I was hoping for a guest list, maybe a couple of important people, just… something." I shrugged, "We'll just have to play it by ear I guess."

Suddenly Dudley coughed and I looked up to see him smiling slightly, "Sir," he said, "If you'll pardon the interruption, there is something I would like to talk about with you." His gaze shifted to Neo, "In private."

I frowned, "Anything you can say to me, you can say to Mistress Gialatta, now what is it?"

He bowed, "Of course sir, it's just that, you've received your inheritance from your mother." He looked up and his eyes twinkled, "I believe it is high time that you received your inheritance from your father."

* * *

Dudley led us down a twisting series of hallways, and I took a moment to appreciate just how massive the mansion truly was. There just seemed to be no end to the labyrinth of passageways and rooms, to the point where even I would struggle to find my way out again.

Finally we arrived at a dead end, I frowned as Dudley stretched out a hand and knocked on the right wall once, twice, then reached out and knocked on the left wall three times in quick succession. I gasped as a strange glyph appeared on the wall in front of us.

Dudley leaned forward and swiped his finger over the glyph and the design spun in response; he quickly repeated the motion back and forth until a design appeared in the shape of the shattered moon with three lines drawn across it. There was a sound of shifting stone and the wall slid slowly out of the way to reveal a set of stairs.

Dudley turned and stepped out of my way with a bow, "After you, Mister Laisren." He told me. Neo forcefully stepped in front of me and glared at me as though challenging me to stop her. I held up my hands in surrender and she walked down the stairs, disappearing into the darkness. I glanced over to see Dudley's reaction, but if anything he was bemused as he waited patiently beside me.

About a minute later, Neo walked back up the stairs, her eyes wide, "Rowan," she said, "You should come see this."

I frowned as I followed her back down the stairs, Dudley followed, and I heard the door close slide closed behind us. Small lights popped on at the sides of the stairs and I followed Neo as we made our way down, the small passageway silent except for the sound of our footfalls.

Finally we reached the bottom of the stairs and my jaw dropped as I looked around the expansive room below.

There were a series computers at one end of the room, with a least twenty monitors all showing various pieces of information. There were weapon stands lining the wall with everything from assault rifles to grenade launchers. Beside that were a series of lockers that lined the wall and my mind couldn't imagine what was inside.

I turned slowly to Dudley beside me to see that he had a wide grin on his face, "Oh by the Five, I wish your father was here to see the look on your face." He whispered softly.

"You knew my father?" I asked, bewildered by the turn of events.

He nodded, "Indeed. I apologize for the duplicity, Dudley Chaster is one of my many aliases that I acquired over the years." His face twitched and his hair suddenly began to grow out, turning a deep brown from pale white, even as that happened, he grew in stature until he was slightly taller than myself. His face became younger, the wrinkles vanishing before my eyes. When he was through, a tall, lanky man stood before me, probably in his early forties.

He knelt in front of me, his hand over his heart, "My name is Lusban Nagato, and I am at your service."

I stared at him for a moment, then turned to once more look around the room, "Did you serve my father then?" I asked him.

"Yes sir, I served your father for nearly ten years." He replied.

I turned to face him once more, "In what capacity?" I asked him.

"I was his Spymaster, sir."

I raised an eyebrow, "His Spymaster? My father had spies?"

"Indeed sir, he had quite an expansive network, enough to rival any other in Solitas."

I nodded slowly, "I'm guessing it has slightly diminished in his… absence?"

He winced, "I'm afraid so sir, however, the core of it is still intact."

I frowned, "The core of it?"

He nodded, "You see sir, your father was no random island bumpkin, he was the heir to a clan that lives on Kaga, the Aldana."

"I'm aware of that." I told him.

"As are many sir. However, what most do not know is that they command a group of men and women of other clans that serve as master spies and assassins; these served as the core of his network. Unlike those that were picked up by the various other crime lords and nobles, they still remain loyal."

"From how you describe it… it sounds like you're speaking of ninja." I said slowly. Dudley made no attempt to deny it, so I continued. "Are you telling me that my father was a daimyo?"

He raised his head to look up at me, "Yes sir."

I shook my head, "That's impossible, the Empress of Mistral annihilated the ninja and their daimyo masters after their attempt on the lives of pro-expansion nobles at her court, a full decade before the Great War."

He bowed his head to me once more, "Not all sir, to be truthful, we that serve the Aldana consider the impossible fully within our realm of responsibilities. The Aldana, formerly the Kawakami, were one of the few daimyo clans to escape the eradication effort by the Empress; taking refuge on the island of Kaga. It is our most well kept secret; I do not know how your mother and father met, but from what I understand, only when they had known each other for three years did he tell her the truth of his ancestry. From then on, he served as her arm and ears for Solitas' darker side until… until their deaths."

I was silent for a moment, "Then where the hell were you... how was it that you survived when they did not?" I asked him, my voice cold.

He said nothing, but lifted his face and I gasped as I recognized it from so long ago; unbidden, my mind flashed back to that day…

I had been hiding in a closet in my room, terrified by the sounds of fighting and screams. Suddenly, the sound of boots tramped into my room. I had curled up in a ball, peeking through a gap between the doors as a man in a gas mask scanned the room, a rifle held in his hands. He walked toward the closet and I let out an involuntary cry as I tried to pull back away from the doors. The doors slammed open and the black metal of the rifle barrel filled my vision as he trained it on me.

"Well, well, looks like I got myself the jackpot!" He crowed and he lifted his hand to the side of his mask, "This is Charlie 7, tell-"

Suddenly he froze and his hand went limp. Falling to his side, he tumbled slowly forward, and I let out a scream as he nearly toppled on top of me. I desperately tried to shove the body away, only to have my hands slip and come away drenched with blood. It fell on me, smothering me with its weight. I screamed and scrambled out from under the corpse; it fell to the ground with a sickening _thud_. I sat there for a moment, staring at the large black knife that was stuck in the man's neck and then at the blood that still covered my hands. Finally, overcoming my crippling horror, I slowly lifted my gaze to see a tall man with black hair and a long scar on his face.

"You want me to what?!" He yelled into the communicator in his palm, he looked at me, "But sir, I can still-" The voice chattered back at him and his expression fell, "Yes sir." He replied his voice resigned, "May the Five protect you."

He walked up to me and I screamed once again, my fingers desperately scrabbling at the wood beneath me in an attempt to get away from the dreadful figure before me. He paused at the sound and his face twisted up in indecision, finally he let out a sigh, "Forgive me, Rowan." He said, and the last thing I saw was his closed fist rushing towards my face.

When I had woken up, I was on the slave transport to the mines, where I would spend the next years of my life in utter misery and torment. My hand tightened into a fist as I saw that very same dark hair and scar from that day.

He nodded slowly, "I was ordered to escape with you by your father." He told me softly, "Believe it or not, that was the safest place to put you; Serroi would have checked every orphanage, but his own slave mines? He would never have suspected it." His eyes dropped to the floor and I saw a bitter shame there, "I couldn't know where you had gone either." He said miserably, "There was too much of a risk that I would be interrogated, and I didn't know who to trust. Once it was safe, I began to look for you again; and for the longest time, I couldn't find anything. Then, a little over six years ago, I finally found you, and I leaked the Dust mine location to Cola and… well…"

He pointed at the monitors, "I've done my best to find the survivors from the attack, to organize them and rebuild something for you to come back to. I have managed to find three other survivors of the ninja your father once commanded, as well as reconnected with roughly thirty percent of his former contacts."

He shook his head, "However, I understand it may never be enough for our… my failure… and should you command it; I will take my own life in penance." He pulled out a short sword and laid it in front of him, "My life is yours." He said simply.

For a long time, I stood there, simply feeling stunned, I had barely known anything about my father or my mother. I had been a slave in a Dust mine for years and now I had met my uncle, been invited to a party by one of the Electors of Mantle, and now found out my father was a daimyo; masters of shadows long thought to be extinct.

Now I had what was left of his warriors in the shadows. I no longer needed Cola to hand me the weapons I needed, I now had my own strength, and so for the first time, I suddenly felt… powerful.

I laid my hand on his shoulder and he looked up at me, "You have done well, Lusban." I told him, "I have too few tools to be going around and breaking them. Stand up, and show me what my father has given me."

He stood, sheathed the sword and bowed to me, "Of course, Mister Laisren."

* * *

A few minutes later, I was sitting in front of the series of computers, scanning through the guest list.

"Did you see this Neo?" I asked her, pointing at one of the names, "This name, right here, Marviana? That's a descendant of one of the nobles that led the Fawkes Confederacy, she-" I desperately stifled a yawn and I let out a start as Neo grabbed my arm.

"Alright, that's enough for today, c'mon, do even realize how late it is?"

"Ah, but Neo, this is so cool… it's like watching history come to life." I protested.

"Exactly, it's history: it's not going anywhere; so you can come back to it _tomorrow_."

I tried to argue, but was interrupted by an attempt to stifle another yawn and Neo dragged me out of the chair and towards the stairs. I was vaguely aware of Lusban leading us up the stairs and opening the secret entrance for us. He closed it behind us and Neo dragged me into a large room dominated by a massive bed in the center. Neo let go off me and I stumbled toward the bed, I was asleep before I even hit the mattress.

* * *

Over the next few days , I pored over the accumulated reports on those that were invited to the banquet alongside me. Finally, the day before the banquet, I had a briefing with Neo in one of the conference rooms.

I put three short dossiers I had constructed on the table between us, "So what Cola said about this banquet is true." I told her, "It's a place where younger men and women of the Merchant and High Nobility get together. In theory it's for them to network amongst each other and to forge alliances for the next generation without fear of any big names. In reality though, it's a war by proxy. Rivalries between the various houses are played out in petty jabs here, as the younger men and women are unlikely to encounter anyone that could permanently ruin them here. There are three people we particularly watch out for."

I pointed to the first picture, a brown haired man with a large nose. "This is Yarrow Ronston, he's the second son of another Lord Elector, Addie Ronston. Nothing too remarkable about him, he attended Krousta Academy, which is the prestigious academy for nobles that aren't going into a combat academy, average marks there. Personality-wise, he's apparently a bit of the uptight, traditional type, he's particularly duel happy, having challenged thirty-two people and won all of them." I looked up at Neo, "We avoid him like the plague, we don't want to make him an enemy or an ally at this point until I have a better grasp on the political situation."

Neo cocked her head, "I note you said challenged, not fought in." She pointed at a black haired man that was included in the dossier, "I'm guessing this guy has something to do with that?"

I nodded at the image, "That's Aster Beaumont, he's his yojimbo, graduated with top marks from the Mantle Combat Academy, and is currently enrolled at the highly prestigious Kronos Academy, where he is again topping his class. He's stood in for Yarrow in all of the duels."

Neo raised an eyebrow, "So he's the resident badass?" She asked.

I shrugged, "Make of it what you will, keep in mind he's only ever really competed with other members of the High Nobility. So he's only ever fought in controlled environments, like those duels. Just whatever you do, don't say anything about Yarrow's nose, apparently he's kind of sensitive about that."

"It certainly seems to be quite the dominating feature." She admitted.

"Yeah, things like that, don't say that to his face."

She gave me a wicked grin, "Well, I'd probably have to tell the nose first."

I rolled my eyes and slid another one of the reports toward her. "Moving on from them, here's two you might recognize."

Neo frowned as she leaned over the two images, both of them looked back with cat-like eyes filled with arrogance, their long silver hair flowing down their backs. Neo's eyes widened slightly, "Those are the two Rashin twins from the Festival of Lights."

I nodded, "Yeah, their names are Menek and Jocasta. They're lower on the totem pole within the family, so they kind of do what they want as long as they don't embarrass the family." I looked up at Neo, "This also means that we don't have as much on them because they're lower priority; one thing to note is that they are a bit infamous for holding grudges. Although that kind of seems to be a trait of the Rashin in general, we should watch out for them in case they try to pull anything on us."

Neo nodded her understanding and I pulled the report back, replacing it with the last dossier.

"This is by far the most interesting of the bunch." I said, "This is Sange Rouge, son of Lord Elector Carmesim Rouge." I tapped on his picture, a handsome looking young man with a wide face and a shock of unruly, deep-red hair. "He's interesting for two reasons, one is that he's already secured his position as the heir to his father's Lord Elector position at the tender age of twenty-five. The other, is that he's already developed a bit of a reputation; a few years back, he made it a habit to walk into the worst parts of Solitas' underbelly. The trick is, unlike most nobles who would have found themselves on the wrong end of a knife, he cut a swath right through it, wiping out a couple of the local gangs. He's known in less reputable circles as Shi-Xixu, which means 'Lord of Corpses' in old Mistralian."

Neo grimaced, "Pleasant. So what's our angle on him?"

I bit my lip, "We need to ally with him." I told her.

Neo raised her eyebrows, looked at the man's picture, then back to me, "Correct me if I'm wrong, but just glancing this over, this guy's a psychopath. Especially this bit here," She pointed to a paragraph in the report. "Apparently his own father has hired a bodyguard to protect himself from him, in case he doesn't want to wait anymore to be a Lord Elector."

I winced, "Yeah, that's true, but-"

Neo smacked her hand to her forehead, "Oh, wait… _Rouge_ … those were the guys that during the Great War wiped out those villages right? At least ten of them were convicted for war crimes. You sure that you want to be buddies with people like that?"

I looked down at my feet, "Look, it's not pretty, but the thing is, quite a few of those gangs were connected to Serroi."

Neo's eyes narrowed, "You think he might have something against him?"

I shook my head, "I don't know, and there's no information to suggest it, but at the very least, Serroi can't be too happy with him. If nothing else, he might have picked up some leads while he was on one of his sprees." Neo opened her mouth and I held up a hand, forestalling her objection.

"Look, I know… this guy is dangerous… but that means there's no harm on getting on his good side… right?" Neo bit her lip, then nodded reluctantly. "Excellent," I said, "Take these dossiers and look over them. Tomorrow, we dive into the viper's nest."

Neo raised an eyebrow as she picked up the papers, "Well that's a pleasant image." She said ruefully.


	14. Chapter 14

**Thanks to TehGramerPolise and MasterofBones for their help with this chapter**

* * *

Journal Entry 281

The viper's nest in question was a series of glorious mansions that composed the Harkin estate.

Yes, I said mansion _s_ , plural.

You see, it's fair to say that Merchant Nobility were wealthy, in fact, oftentimes they were much more wealthy than the average member of the High Nobility. However, that all went out the window when it came to the Lord Electors of the High Nobility. To say they were wealthy and powerful was to say that water was wet.

Lusban, his face once more back in the guise of Dudley, drove us through each of the three gates that protected the estate, showing the invitation at each checkpoint. Each time, it was scanned with a handheld device, each time the armored attendant handed it back with a gracious bow until we reached the last one.

The attendant there, a grizzled man with a large axe strapped to his back, pointed to the central building after he handed back the invitation.

"You may drop your passengers off out in front there." He told Lusban, "You will then be required to park in the lot behind the West Wing, there you and the car will be subject to a security check. After that is concluded, you will be directed to a dining hall where the servants will stay until they are contacted by their masters."

Lusban tipped his hat graciously, "Thank you kindly, have a nice night."

"You as well, sir." The man replied and waved us by.

We pulled into four lane circular drive that was under a massive, ornate overhang. Lusban exited the car and helped us out before closing the door behind us.

Before he drove off, he leaned over to me and whispered, "Remember sir, should you require it, I've broken into far more secure locations before."

I nodded to him, "Thank you, but hopefully that won't be necessary."

Lusban bowed in reply, got back into the car, and drove off.

As one, Neo and I turned toward the giant staircase that led to a series of double doors that were open wide, smartly dressed servants stood like statues, welcoming a small crowd of gorgeously dressed young men and women inside.

"Well… here we go." I said, my throat tight.

"Back to the simpler vocabulary huh?" Neo asked under her breath as we walked up the stairs.

"Only so that you can understand it." I answered back, keeping my face neutral.

Neo chuckled as we made our way past a pair of servants that bowed while murmuring polite nothings, and into a world of splendor.

* * *

There's only so many adjectives even I can use to describe the grandeur of the Harkin estate. We passed by statues wrought of precious metals, elegant portraits adorned the walls as we walked through the hallway whose velvet carpet alone was probably worth enough lien to feed all of Mantle for a week.

We went from that hallway and into a massive ballroom, the ceiling stretched off into the distance above our head, massive crystal chandeliers hung there, like twinkling forests of light. The expansive floor was made out of an elegant hardwood that I was sure cost some thousands, if not millions of lien. My attention however, was seized entirely on the gathering of noble men and women in front of us.

The fashion present was a fantastic array of color, some wore vibrant reds, greens, and even some yellows, yet others were more somber, with grays, blues, and blacks. Beyond that were the styles, here were the tucked in, tight lines of Origiani, the famous tailor homegrown from Mantle itself. Over there were the far more loose and flowing styles of Adriana, the woman from Mistral who it's said could make even wool flow like silk. A few were wearing the simple, comfortable, yet elegant styles of Ruthenberg, a Vale tailor that was rising in popularity. Spread out here and there amongst the crowds were even more exotic styles that I knew were from Vacuo, though I did not recognize their creators.

So enraptured was I, that Neo had to physically shake me to get my attention. I let out a start and saw her looking at me with a tint of anger and embarrassment in her eyes. I looked past her to see a servant waiting patiently, his hand extended.

I barely managed to keep my face composed as I handed him our invitation. He nodded his head in thanks as he accepted it. When he looked down at the names written there, his eyes widened, but otherwise he showed no reaction as he cleared his throat. "Baron Rowan Laisren, first of his name, Master of Laisren Aerial Manufactory, son of Merchant Elector Ciara Laisren. Accompanying him is Neopolitan Gialatta, first of her name, yojimbo to Rowan Laisren." The room went abruptly quiet and I felt every single eye on Neo and myself. I waved to them, an arrogant smile on my face.

Lusban and I had carefully selected those titles. We had decided to make the formal claim to the company itself, but leave the idea of Electorship vague for now; simply reminding everyone of the Laisren family's past power and position. Claiming it now would instantly make me isolated amongst enemies from the Merchant Nobility who were close to the title, as well as any High Nobility endorsing them. Whereas if I simply left myself open as a candidate, I had more room politically.

Neo and I walked past the servant and further into the room, which grew louder as conversation resumed. Suddenly there was a hand at my shoulder and I turned to see the servant from before holding out a pair of masks. One had a swirl of green, yellow, and purple on its forehead, with a wide, almost sinister smile. The other was a plain white mask, one side of its face was quirked up in a smile, and the other in a despairing frown.

"Would you two be so kind to put these on?" The servant asked pleasantly.

I looked blankly at the masks, then looked up to see that indeed all of the gathered guests were indeed wearing similar masks, although almost all differed from each other. I had been so enraptured with the clothes that were present that I hadn't even bothered looking at the faces.

"Wait, isn't this a banquet?" I asked him.

The servant bowed, "Indeed sir, observe." He pushed on both sides of the mouth on the half-smile, half-frown mask and the parts of the mask around the mouth retracted, leaving a rectangle shaped hole.

"Well that seems hardly worth the effort." I muttered as I took the half-smile and half-frown mask from him and put it on.

Neo gave me a concerned look as she put the other mask on, her multicolored eyes clashing with the swirling colors of the mask. Now we wouldn't be able to tell who was who. Which meant we would be walking into a political minefield…

I took a deep breath, and with our masks firmly in place, we walked into the crowd.

* * *

For a while we weaved our way through the guests, making small talk as we went. Neo leaned in close, "So, I thought that this banquet was supposed to be where younger members of the nobility formed alliances." She said, keeping her voice low.

"That's correct." I replied.

"So, don't these masks make that a little… difficult?" She asked.

I did my best to keep my voice calm and nonchalant, "Once again you're correct," I told her, "I believe that this is the first time that this event has been a masquerade."

"Mmm…" She put a finger to her mask's wooden lips, "And this is the first year where you, who has no allies or even contacts to really speak of, has attended. I'm guessing that's not coincidence."

I grinned behind my mask, "Remember, what I told you the true nature of this Banquet was." I told her, "Someone has decided to take a subtle jab at me… the question is… who and why?"

Neo cocked her head slightly slightly, "Aren't both of those, obvious?"

I shook my head, "Not necessarily. While this is Lord Elector Harkin's party, it's hasty to assume that he is the one who is behind it. We may be watching a coup in action, whether from amongst the Harkin family, or from an outside source. If that's the case, I sincerely doubt he'll admit to it openly. It's not worth admitting you don't have total control over a party in your own house for an event like this. As for the 'why'…"

I tapped on my mask, "Keep in mind; the only thing that these masks do is maintain a brief anonymity, as soon as you ask someone's name and title; odds are they won't be bold enough to lie." I rubbed the back of my neck, "The interesting thing is that it in no way applies to us." Neo seemed to consider that for a moment, then her multicolored eyes widened. "Exactly, your eyes are a dead giveaway to anyone who knows about them. The truth is though, whoever is behind the masks may not even have any malicious intent towards us. They could be judging me by seeing how I react to a situation like this. On the other hand, they could have far more malicious intentions in mind… we'll have to be cautious."

Neo's eyes narrowed and she began to say something when her stomach growled. I chuckled as even through the mask I saw her face flush red.

"Come on." I told her as I led the way to a long table where various ornate snacks were laid out. "It'd be horribly embarrassing if I allowed my yojimbo to starve to death in the middle of a banquet."

She said nothing, but just huffed in reply, her gaze downcast. I grinned and was about to say something further, when two figures stepped out in front of us.

I frowned at first, then raised my eyebrows as I recognized them, their cat-like eyes very much visible behind their masks. To my surprise, they bowed politely.

"Rowan Laisren." He said, in way of greetings.

"Neopolitan Gialatta." The woman said similarly.

I bowed in reply, "Menek and Jocasta Rashin." Keeping my tone light. "It is a pleasure to meet you again."

"We are honored that you say so." Menek said, although his eyes belied the statement.

"After all." Jocasta's eyes flicked back and forth between us, "Imagine our surprise to find that we danced against the scion to the House Laisren and his yojimbo."

"We are pleased to see that you escaped unscathed from the… incident… at the Festival." Menek said.

"It was most unfortunate, what happened to Beryl." Jocasta said.

Something in me bristled at the words, as her tone somehow managed to both utterly lack any kind of remorse, and hold every kind of accusation. I began to say something when graceful music started to play. I turned to see a small orchestra in the corner of the room, a man in a dark suit and a mask with an impish grin conducting them.

"Well, that is most fortuitous." Menek said.

I frowned as I turned to them and suppressed a shudder as I saw the two Faunus looking at me with an almost feral look in their eyes. "What do you mean?" I asked him.

"You bested us at the Festival of Lights." Jocasta replied, "We had wished to challenge you once more… merely a friendly competition you understand." Her gaze flicked between the two of us, "After all, here we may be judged amongst our peers."

My heart sank slightly as I saw that space was being cleared on the central dance floor, far too quickly to be spontaneous, the Rashin twins had prepared for this. A myriad of expectant eyes turned in our direction and I kept my posture composed as I turned back to the two Rashin once more.

I bowed, "I did not know that the Rashin relished in defeat so much." I said casually. Their eyes flashed dangerously, "We accept your challenge." I said smoothly before they could speak.

Menek smiled and he offered his arm to his twin, who took it without looking. The two gave us a look of haughty disdain as they made their way to the dance floor.

Neo abruptly stepped forward and took my arm, "C'mon champ." She whispered and she pulled me gently forward, "Time to back up what your mouth spat out."

I winced, but otherwise kept my expression and posture one of utter confidence as we made our way to the dance floor.

We stopped and turned to face across from the twins; we bowed to each other and then stepped back. The orchestra paused for a moment, the room was silent as the conductor tapped his baton against the stand. Once… twice… then the band struck into a graceful melody.

Neo and I began with a careful waltz, gauging the music; I glanced over to see the Rashin doing the same. I bit my lip as I quickly realized that I had no clue what to do, what were the rules? How would we be judged? My heart sank as I realized that the Rashin twins had no such questions, they had probably done this a hundred times before. Why had I gone and opened my fat mou-

I gave a start as Neo quickly kicked my shin, "What are you looking at them for?" She asked me under her breath. She smiled, and her eyes twinkled, "You've got all you need to win right here."

I laughed at that, and suddenly I realized that she was right. Screw the world, screw everyone here, screw the playing field that meant that we were always behind one way or another, Neo and I were together.

So we were invincible.

I didn't know how dances like this were normally judged, but that didn't matter. Just like at the Festival of Lights, this was a crowd.

All we had to do was play to it.

We began to dance.

Twirls, spins, steps, counter-steps. We were motion, we were movement.

We were fantastic.

The guests applauded and cheered, I was vaguely aware that it was as much for the Rashin twins as for us. They were no slouches, that was for sure, we were going to have to do something extraordinary…

My gaze drifted upward, and suddenly an insane idea came into my head. I looked back down at Neo, "Have you ever wanted to swing from a chandelier?" I asked her.

Neo's eyes widened and then suddenly, she smiled, a devil-may-care smile that I have to imagine matched my own.

I grabbed hold of Neo's waist and with all of my strength, threw her up into the air. There was a grasp in the room as she vanished, and then reappeared. She swung from chandelier from chandelier, and there were shouts from the servants as they began to scramble.

Even as I watched her, whirling underneath Neo as she swung, the music never stopped. A detached part of my brain was vaguely disappointed, as it wondered whether the conductor and his musicians had seen crazier things.

Suddenly, Neo let go, flipping high into the air; she fell straight down towards me and with a spin, I caught her and brought her gently down the floor, where we froze, the music coming to a slamming halt. The sound of the final echoing cymbal clash echoing throughout the room.

Everything was silent for what seemed like an eternity, then the entire room burst into thunderous applause. Neo and I stood up, then bowed deeply, "Never… let me do that again." Neo whispered to me.

I smiled at her, "No promises." I said.

Her hand shot to her mask and pushed the button to retract the part around her mouth. She stuck out her tongue at me, I too opened up my mask and mimicked her. The two of us grinned and pushed the buttons once more before straightening, and we waved to the still-applauding crowd.

The Rashin twins walked up to us, then bowed deeply, "We know when we have bested, Baron Laisren." Menek said gracefully. "You two are indeed impressive."

I bowed to them, the meaning of the inclusion of the title not lost on me, "You are worthy opponents, we should create more opportunities for such competitions."

Jocasta grinned, "Indeed, although I think we have mostly exhausted dance, perhaps more… relaxing… pursuits."

I smiled, "I look forward to it."

At that moment, a bell rang from the far end of the ballroom, "My lords and ladies!" A servant shouted, "Your meal awaits!"

* * *

We were escorted into a long dining hall dominated by a massive table, already piled high with delicacies. Servants escorted us to our seats, although how they decided on the seating arrangements eluded me, as they did not ask for our names before seating us.

Neo and I ended up being sat next to each other towards the middle of the table; as I sat, I quickly glanced over those around us.

To our left was a slim woman with long silver hair, her face covered with a fox mask. Directly across from us was a man and a woman, he had an owl mask; while she had a mask that resembled an ancient Vacuan death mask. It was a flat golden color, save for the black ridges that ran down its length.

To Neo's right was a short man in an owl mask, his black hair in a ponytail down his back. Across from him was a man in a plain gray mask with dark black swirls at each cheek. I sat down, saying nothing, and for a short while, the whole room was quiet, save for some places where people who knew each other had begun conversing casually.

I steeled myself to take the plunge, when suddenly the woman in the fox mask next to me spoke. "That was quite the performance you two put on." She said and she offered the back of her hand.

I pressed my lips gently to it, "Thank you Miss…?"

"Zheleznaya; Camille Zheleznaya." She replied.

I frowned, I didn't recognize that name from the guest list, then again, there had been a lot of names and I could only be so confident of my admittedly stellar memory. "Forgive me; I am unaware of that House." I said.

Camille nodded, "We are a relatively newer Merchant Nobility House, we deal in the shipping industry."

Not exactly what I had been after, but now that I thought about it, if she was making up the name, then did I really expect her to just admit it? I clapped my hands together, "Well, I suppose now that we've started introducing ourselves. My name is Rowan Laisren, and this is Neopolitan Gialatta, my yojimbo."

Neo bowed her head to the guests around us and the two across from us responded in kind. "A pleasure to meet you." The man across from us said, "My name is Kollane Gage, and this is Rosa Fairfax, my fiancee. We are engaged to be married in the summer."

"Congratulations you two." I replied smoothly, both of them were of the High Nobility, but of the kind of bottom feeding houses that still retained the noble titles. However, they possessed none of the power and wealth that one might have expected from them. They were essentially minnows in the great sea of Mantle.

I turned to the two other men to my right, the short man waved to all of us, "Please to meet you all, my name is Rudas of the House Fitzroy."

Fitzroy, a family of the High Nobility, with some renown as diplomats and bureaucrats. I bowed slightly to him, "Pleased to make your acquaintance." I told him.

He answered with a small bow, "Anyone who can make the Rashin humble is alright in my book."

I grinned and turned to the man in the gray mask, who remained haughtily aloof from our conversation, preferring instead to listen to a conversation to his other side.

Rudas rolled his eyes, "And this talkative fellow is Bailus of the House Drummond." He said.

My eyes narrowed slightly, the House Drummond were a prestigious line, but they had fallen on hard times as of the last decade or so when they had lost their Electorship status. Their title had been usurped by House Pomeroy after a series of faux pas by then Lord Elector Vern. It appeared though that at least Bailus Drummond had lost none of the arrogance that had led his House to fall from their once lofty heights.

Ignoring him, I instead turned to the others just as servants began coming around with silver platters piled high with delicacies that made my mouth water just looking at them.

For a time we conversed with small talk, remarking on how exquisite everything was, from the food to the murals on the walls that detailed various pieces of House Harkin's history. It was after the remnants of the main course were carted away that Camille turned to the group and asked, "So, what do you all make of the latest news with Alsius Academy?"

"I suppose you mean 'Atlas Academy' now." Rosa scoffed. "Really, with how hard they fought for the change in that title, you would think they would have selected something more… creative."

"Here, here darling." Kollane said.

"Well, after all, the name itself barely matters." Rudas said. "The crux of the matter is that it was changed from a name Mantle had chosen and to one Atlas has chosen."

An astute observation, it appeared that Rudas Fitzroy had inherited at least some of the shrewdness that had served his house so well. I filed that away for future reference.

"So what's the news?" I asked Camille.

Her eyes twinkled, "You didn't know? Apparently the eldest of the Schnee daughters, Winter, will be attending it in the fall."

There was a shocked silence, then Kollane snorted, "What tomfoolery is that? Doesn't Baron Schnee realize how bad that will look to all of the other Houses? It's long been accepted that the schooling at that Academy is by far inferior than that offered at Kronos. Which she certainly could've gotten into if half of what I heard about her ability is true."

Camille's eyes twinkled mischievously, "That's just it…" She leaned in close and whispered conspiratorially, "Word has it that she went against her father's wishes."

There was a shocked silence around the table, "He hasn't… disowned her or anything, has he?" Rosa asked.

Rudas shook his head, "There's no way that'd be the case… his other daughter is nowhere near old enough to succeed; the risk would be far too great."

Camille nodded, "I haven't heard anything about that yet, but I can't imagine that the Baron is all too happy with her."

I opened my mouth to ask where she had heard all of this, when suddenly the gentleman sitting across from her spoke up, "Really, speaking such gossip about your betters, have you nothing better to do?"

I looked over at him to see a brown-haired man in a bird mask with a long, hooked beak. Three separate things about his interjection irked me, first, he interrupted me, men and women have died for less. Second, his arrogant and condescending tone left no doubts that he considered himself superior to all of us; we all have our delusions, but that was unforgivable. The third, was that he had just implied that the Schnees were somehow superior to me as well… second verse, same as the first.

So I responded a tad bit more… recklessly, than perhaps the situation warranted. In hindsight, my choice of words could probably have been more… considered. "Why don't you keep your freakish nose out of other people's business?" I asked him before turning back to Camille.

The shocked and awkward silence that suddenly engulfed our immediate area told me that I had messed up. Although I noted that Camille's eyes glinted with something I couldn't quite place before quickly being replaced with shock that didn't seem quite genuine.

"What… did you just say to me?" The man asked slowly.

I turned to face him once more, and as soon as I saw the looked in the man's eyes I knew who this was. What I also saw in those eyes was that even if I backed down now, saying I had been only speaking of the beak on the mask and apologizing for my words; there was no escaping what was to follow. He had been looking for a fight, and now his wish had been granted.

Feeling resigned, I cocked my head at him, "You heard me." I said.

The man slowly reached up to his mask and removed it, revealing the features of Yarrow Ronston. "I believe," He said deliberately, "That you leave me no choice." And I kid you not, he reached into his pocket, pulled out an actual glove, and threw it at me. I caught it deftly, which only seemed to make him more upset and he pointed to a man wearing a bear mask to his side. "This is Aster Beaumont," He said, "He will duel in my stead."

I jerked my thumb at Neo, "This is Neopolitan of the House Gialatta." I stated, "She will duel in my stead."

Yarrow smiled, "Excellent, I shall crush two Merchant Nobility dogs with one stone. I shall speak with our host about the arrangements. Of course, you could flee now and spare yourselves the humiliation." He said, his tone mocking, "Your kind always do reek of cowardice."

I removed my mask and smiled, "I believe that your prodigious olfactory organ is malfunctioning." I told him, "Because all I can smell is your defeat."

His face turned red with barely suppressed rage and he quickly stood up, "I shall be right back." He said stiffly, and his yojimbo casually followed him, his gaze fixed on us appraisingly as he followed his master.

Neo punched me lightly on the shoulder once he was out of sight, "Well, good going, now look what you've gotten us into."


	15. Chapter 15

**Thanks to TehGramerPolise for his help with the chapter. I apologize for taking so long to publish this chapter, as always, feedback is greatly appreciated!**

* * *

Journal Entry 282

'It is far better to fail with honor, than to win by guile or trickery. For all that we have in this world is our life and our legacy; one of these by far outlives the other.'

Do you know who said that? Exactly... it's often attributed to a noble of the failed kingdom of Mercia right before the Emperor of Mistral brought them to their knees… ensuring the nation's ascendancy to eventually rule all of the continent of Anima.

They did it with an ambush, using a secret path that the noble who said that quote refused to even consider in his battle plans, as he thought it would be far too cowardly.

Torchwick, that infamous rogue from 'The Tale of the Four Knights', had this to say about honor. 'Honor is that delightfully drab rug that can be pulled out from underneath an otherwise invincible enemy's feet.'

He said those words before the fateful battle where he lead the army of Vacton to victory over a far superior force from the kingdom of Attica. He did it by ambushing the enemy's camp under the cover of darkness; using the Faunus under his command to kill all the noble commanders. He did all of this after agreeing to fight those same nobles in honorable combat the next morning.

Duels came to Mantle from Mistral, instituted as a time-honored tradition to help legitimize the nobility and separate them from the chaff. Along with this came a series of rules, which included acceptable forms of fighting. The High Nobility took these and perfected them, making dueling an art form in Mantle.

However, with the rise of the Merchant Nobility came a different… mentality… when it came to dueling. Whereas the High Nobility prized the process, the only thing the Merchant Nobility cared about was the outcome. This came to a head when technology for measuring Aura levels was perfected, allowing for much more realistic combat during duels and other formalized fights. The Merchant Nobility began creating tournaments, recruiting from the more promising of the fighters there. This raw demonstration of power forced the High Nobility to create an uneasy balance, attempting to keep the art of duelling and yet keeping up with the changing times. This resulted in two different formats for determining conflicts: the more traditional Mantle 'Impasse' and this new Atlesian 'Last Stand' format,

The Mantle format was more respected, but that only mattered for the more traditional of the High Nobility.

Like I had explained to Neo, despite his illustrious record, Aster Beaumont had only ever fought against fools who had cared for such trivial matters.

Now we would see if that hubris would be his downfall.

What? I have to allow for at least _some_ suspense.

* * *

Word about the duel spread quickly; soon, the entire length of the table was talking in hushed tones, sneaking glances toward our area. For my part, I calmly continued eating as though nothing was the matter; ignoring how our immediate neighbors had suddenly found conversation with us to be unpalatable. Neo followed my example, but I could tell from how her hand drifted to her hair that she was restless, having seen a similar motion many times when she had been uncertain

Despite my sudden lack of appetite, I managed to eat a respectable enough amount so as to not appear rude. I then stood up, and everyone's gaze shot towards me, I bowed slightly, "I will be speaking with my yojimbo on the balcony. If it wouldn't be too much trouble, should someone come about the duel please direct them our way."

Rudas dipped his head in response, "Of course." He replied.

* * *

As soon as we reached the balcony, Neo looked around quickly to make sure we weren't be watched, and then slumped forward on the stone ledge; an action I noted with some amusement, that forced her to stand on her toes.

"Well this is fantastic." She muttered, a slight edge to her voice, "First time out and it's going to be against the resident badass."

"At least you won't have to waste your time with the small fry." I told her, keeping my tone light.

She gave a wild giggle and then bit her lip, "Rowan… you realize what it means if I lose right?"

"Never even crossed my mind." I replied flippantly

She shook her head angrily, "If I lose, then you'll look weak in front of everyone. Such a public defeat against someone who isn't even first in line to an Electorship means that your own rise is going to be delayed if nothing else. With the Rashin and the Schnees as contenders it's not like it wasn't hard enough. Your uncle might even seize upon the weakness to shove you aside once more." Her mismatched eyes looked into mine and to my shock I could see tears starting to form. "You'll have lost everything that you sought to achieve, and it will all have been my fault." She concluded miserably.

I glanced down at her hands to see that they were clenched tight and shaking. I put my hand on top of hers and squeezed, "You know... " I told her, "all of these people here." I waved my hand vaguely, "They don't know what it means to survive. They've lived in these big mansions all their lives; protected from all that is big and bad in the world." I looked her in the eyes. "You and I, we've been there, done that… we lived in that hellhole for years." She tried to avert my gaze and I cupped her cheek, gently forcing her to face me. "You and I, we know what it means to live when others die." I said softly, "To choose between others… and ourselves… to survive."

I lowered my gaze,"Lie, cheat, steal, and survive." I murmured, quoting The Tale of the Four Knights. Suddenly I let go of Neo and spun around, lightly tapping my cane against the stone floor.

"That's it Neo!" I proclaimed with a wide grin, "I have our four point plan to victory!" I held up a finger, "One: You're nervous, you're scared, I get that, but you're going to _lie_ out there, you're going to walk in as though you own the place. This guy has a reputation, sure, so you're not going to handicap yourself by letting him think he's intimidated you."

She stared at me as though I was crazy as I held up another finger, "Next: We're gonna do whatever it takes to win, that means that in their eyes, we're going to _cheat_ : because Yarrow Ronston made a mistake, he challenged _me_."

She frowned, "Why would that-" Suddenly her eyes widened, "You get to decide the format." She breathed.

My eyes twinkled, "Bingo! Atlesian Last Stand, a dueling format so repugnant to the High Nobility that they retch at the very thought of it. However, the Merchant Nobility know it for what it truly is… a battle of _survival_."

I snapped my fingers irritably, "Damn it; it's out of order now." I muttered. Neo rolled her eyes at me in mock exasperation, a wide smile on her face. In response I swept over to her and extended my hand. She raised an eyebrow, but took it graciously.

I grabbed her other hand and we began to waltz, dancing our way up and down the spacious balcony. "The next step is that, because they think they have already won; we are going to march right up to them and _steal_ that victory right out from under their noses. One of which is quite prodigious."

Neo grinned wickedly at that, "It's that kind of mouthing off that got us into this mess in the first place." She pointed out.

"So you acknowledge in the one-in-a-million chance that you actually don't beat this guy into a paste, that it will not have been, as you put it, 'all your fault'?"

Her eyes narrowed and she stopped in her tracks, "Hmm… looks like you're one and zero, good to see that you stopped letting your yojimbo get the better of you in battles of words."

I grinned, "I was told that it was my duty to improve upon it." I replied. "Besides, you aren't thinking about this the right way." I informed her, she frowned and cocked her head. "Think about what happens when… not if… you _win_."

I saw her purse her lips in thought and I continued, "I will have walked into this party having publicly trounced the Rashin that have attended." I shrugged, "A far more congenial competition to be sure, but it still stands as a victory nonetheless. If you beat Aster, then like you said, you'll have beaten the resident badass of the High Nobility. The interesting factor you're also not considering is that if we defeat Yarrow, then it's actually likely that we'll even have curried some favor with his elder brother, Mace. As we'll be effectively be helping him solidify his own position by toppling his brother's."

She raised an eyebrow, "Hmm… that seems a little cut-throat…"

I grimaced, "Sad but true, some of the worst enemies of the nobility come from within their own family; just look at my uncle."

She winced slightly, "Fair enough."

"In light of what we've learned, honestly this challenge couldn't come at a better time." I said.

Neo frowned, "What do you mean by that?" She asked, perplexed.

I hesitated, then looked around to carefully check our surroundings, making sure no one was listening, "There's something happening Neo." I whispered, "Someone is working in the shadows against the High Nobility."

"How do you know that?" She asked, lowering her voice as well.

"The reports I was reading." I told her, "It's been small things so far, little things to relax the their control, everything from non-nobles being allowed into the military, to the enlargement of this new 'Atlas Academy'. I can only guess it's someone in Atlas itself; this whole business with the Schnee daughter; I can't help but feel like it's part of some power play." I shook my head, "I don't exactly know to what end, but this duel is going to be a statement of our strength; you're going to go out and not just beat him; you're going to crush him. We're going to let all of Mantle… all of Solitas… know that we are not to be trifled with."

She looked down at her feet, "You… you really think I can win?"

I raised an eyebrow, "I think you can do more than that." I replied. "I meant it when I said that it was going to be a statement; you're going to go out there and destroy him. After all, I know the guy's Semblance."

"From the files?" She asked.

I nodded, "It appears as though he has some form of Perception Dilation; basically time is slowed down for him. It's why he's so dangerous as a swordsman."

Her eyes narrowed, "So I have to change the fight…" She murmured.

I grinned, "What was that I said about cheating? I know exactly how we can tip the fight in our favor…"

* * *

"Excuse me, sir." I turned to see a servant standing in the entryway to the balcony. He bowed, "I apologize for the delay. The duel will take place in Lord Elector Harkin's personal arena. Please follow me."

He led us through the winding passageways and out into a massive clearing. I barely prevented myself from gawking as I took it all in.

It was essentially a small stadium. At least a thousand seats were in a ring around a large stone platform in the center, towering above everything was a large electronic board that was blank for now.

I frowned as I noticed that only one side of the stadium's seats were filled. Apparently Neo noticed it as well, then she nudged me, "Look; at the ground level."

I followed her instructions and my eyes widened. On each side was a large tower, and seated in the one on the side with almost all of the people sitting on it; was Yarrow Ronston.

I grimaced as I began to understand; whichever side you chose to sit on would be a subtle sign of support. It appeared that most people were going for the safe option.

As the servant lead us toward the tower, I curiously looked up to see the few that had decided to take that bold step by sitting on my side of the arena. I raised my eyebrows in surprise as I saw not only Rudas in those stands, but Bailus Drummond as well. Above them, Camille Zheleznaya reclined gracefully; surrounding her was a small group of nobles, none of which I recognized. Offhand I guessed that most were somehow already against House Ronston due to their own family allegiances, much less a sign of support for me and more a point of reaffirming their stances.

My gaze drifted over and I frowned as I saw one more person sitting off by themselves, a large man who wore a mask in the shape of a skull. Even from where I was I could tell something about that person seemed… peculiar, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it…

"Sir, please enter here." The servant indicated a door at the base of the tower, "Head up the stairs and the Weapons-master will be up shortly."

I nodded, "Thank you." We proceeded up the stairs and I sat in the chair provided. I had only just settled down when a man with a long black ponytail emerged.

"Hello sir, my name is Douglas Murray, I am House Harkin's Weapons-master. As the challenged party, you may decide upon the format of the duel."

"Atlesian Last Stand." I answered quickly.

The man's face wrinkled slightly in disgust, but nodded, "Very well sir." He reached behind him and opened up a briefcase; inside was a metallic armband, Douglas held it out to Neo. "Please put this on."

Neo obliged and the man pulled out a scroll and pressed a button. The large electronic screen above the stage flipped on, revealing a picture of Neo, underneath was a long colored bar.

"Please follow me to the arena floor, Mistress Gialatta."

Neo swallowed nervously, then nodded. Douglas began walking down the stairs, once he was out of sight she turned and gave me a nervous thumbs up. I straightened up imperiously and gave my one of my own; my face comically serious. She rolled her eyes with a grin and began stepping down the stairs.

A few minutes later, Aster's own portrait appeared with its own bar; not long after that. Douglas walked out into the arena, flanked by the two yojimbo. They stopped in the center of the stage and another figure walked out onto the stage.

"Oh Maidens." I breathed, it was none other than Lord Elector Harkin.

"So you noticed?" A deep, almost breathy voice asked from behind me.

I turned to see the man in the skull mask standing at the entryway to the box, he bowed, "If you would not mind, I would like to join you for this… duel. I ever find that such events are far more entertaining when observed with another."

I suppressed a shudder, I still couldn't put my finger on it, but something about this man made my skin crawl. Out of the corner of my eyes I saw Douglas speaking with Lord Elector Harkin. The Lord Elector's presence explained the delay before the duel... no doubt it had been to allow for the Lord Elector to view it in person.

"This is a very… intriguing development." I turned my attention back to the man to see that he had stepped up beside my chair and was looking out at the arena. "The fact that the Lord Elector himself is apparently taking an interest in this duel could be entirely innocent… or it could mean that he is preparing for someone to take a fall."

I frowned as I turned back to the arena, "What do you mean?"

"This party is not usually a masquerade; someone has planted the masks and the servants. They were able to do this largely because Lord Elector Harkin was in the meeting with a certain Baron Zheleznaya, and thus had his attention diverted from the banquet itself. Likely he commanded his servants that he was not to be disturbed."

I blinked and then looked to where Camille was chatting animatedly with some of the nobles. I made a mental note to demand that Lusban compile everything he could find about this Zheleznaya family. Information about the heir apparent to the Schnee family was one thing, but a meeting with a Lord Elector?

He waved his hand at the crowd, "Likely there are more than a few nobles out there that are aware of this little bit of intrigue. It is too late to pretend that the masquerade was his intention all along, thus he is faced with only one option… to find a scapegoat."

My heart dropped, "Whoever loses this duel…" I murmured.

He nodded, "Correct, he will likely spread rumors rapidly that he instigated this altercation somehow by enlisting the winner to humiliate the culprit. It will be nothing official, of course; however, to everyone that matters, they will only see that Lord Elector Harkin swiftly punished the person responsible,as expected of someone of his station."

He shrugged, "Of course, this could all be mere… conjecture… he could simply be curious to see the power of your yojimbo against one of the best young duelists on the continent."

I leaned back in the chair as the Lord Elector walked off stage, "Of course." I replied, but I heavily suspected that this mysterious nobleman was absolutely correct in his assumption. Which meant that somehow, the stakes were even higher than I had originally anticipated.

I had not expected such analysis from any among the nobility; moreover, despite my own intelligence network, I had been completely unaware of even the name Zheleznaya... much less that its Baron would be meeting with the Lord Elector himself; just who was this man? I frowned and began to turn to ask him his name, when Douglas suddenly spoke, his voice booming over the speakers surrounding the stadium.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to a duel between two parties. Yarrow of House Ronston has challenged Rowan of House Laisren, accusing the latter of insulting him. As the challenged party, Rowan has decided upon Atlesian Last Stand format."

There was a brief murmur in the crowd, but it was silenced as Douglas spoke again, "Will the two yojimbo please step to their respective sides of the arena?"

I turned my attention back to the stage, "Are the fighters ready?" Douglas asked. Aster and Neo nodded their assent. "Draw your weapons."

Aster pulled out a long broadsword, which he flourished before dropping into a guard position. On the other side, Neo pulled out her umbrella, which prompted another murmur from the crowd.

"Ready?" Douglas turned to each fighter, "Fight!"

* * *

The words echoed around the stadium, and before I could blink, Neo had closed the distance and threw herself at Aster, her umbrella sweeping at him in a series of blows. Aster calmly stood his ground, deftly deflecting the strikes as they came. There was a collective gasp and my heart leapt into my throat as he suddenly launched a single strike in reply, sweeping cleanly through Neo's guard. She was sent flying backwards and her bar on the screen dipped slightly as her Aura absorbed the attack.

"Hmm…" The skull-masked nobleman stepped forward, his hands clasped behind his back, "Swift, but reckless… she is more mobile than he is, and now he is aware of it."

I grimaced, I knew what Neo had been thinking; take Aster by surprise and bring him down quickly. After all, it was one thing for him to see her movements, it was another thing entirely to be able to react to them quickly enough. The nobleman however, was correct in his assessment that it was an advantage that she had now lost.

She stood there for a moment, then began slowly pacing around her opponent, as though searching for a weakness. Abruptly Aster launched himself forward, sweeping his broadsword in an arc. Neo nimbly jumped back from the blow; only to be struck as Aster threw out his leg in a vicious kick that collided solidly with her left side. Once more she went sliding backward, and once more her bar dipped ever lower, now at maybe around eighty percent full.

I could see Neo's mouth twist into a snarl and Aster smiled mockingly in reply. As she began to pace once more, he straightened, then bowed. I couldn't see his lips, but from how Neo let out a yell, something had apparently struck a nerve and she once more threw herself into a frenzy of attacks. Aster once more parried these with ease and even feigned a yawn as he connected two more hits that drove her backward.

"Hmmm…" The nobleman shook his head, "He will destroy her at this rate." He turned to me, "I had sincerely hoped that it would be more entertaining than this."

I restrained the bitter retort that nearly burst from my lips. I was in one duel for my political life due to my fat mouth; it wouldn't due to add a second. "She's just getting started." I replied instead. He shrugged and turned back to the fight.

The crowd on Yarrow's side of the field began cheering as Neo's bar dropped ever lower, signaling that her Aura was starting to reach its limits. From green to yellow, dipping ever closer to red and then gray when she would be disqualified. Aster pressed forward, his swordsmanship, almost certainly being boosted by his Semblance; ludicrously superior to Neo's.

"Sloppy." The nobleman stated, "Aster is moving in too close, he's sacrificing his advantage of reach. Soon he will be in a position that, should she counter attack, he will find it most difficult to withdraw."

I grinned as I closely watched the fight, then I saw it. The moment when his statement had come to pass and Aster had crossed the threshold of no return. "Now." I whispered.

As though she had heard me, Neo suddenly threw a seemingly desperate thrust, which Aster once again lifted his sword with an almost lazy gracefullness to intercept.

Only to have that image of her shatter, disintegrating into thousands of pieces. He barely had time to take a step backward before Neo's umbrella slammed into his head from behind him.

He turned and struck a wild blow in response; she blocked it and then began her own strike; then paused strangely right in the middle of the blow. Aster recoiled and then quickly looked around him; only to have her follow through on the attack, connecting solidly with his ribs. He stepped back, his previous composure vanished as he warily entered a defensive stance.

"Brilliant." The nobleman breathed beside me

I smirked as I leaned back in my chair.

* * *

"So what's this idea?" Neo asked.

I leaned on the balcony ledge, "How often do you think you can use your Semblance and still fight?" I asked her.

She grimaced, "Depends on the distance." I raised an eyebrow and she continued, "For the dance at the Festival I was teleporting two people back and forth across a large stage. So I could only do it a few times without exhausting myself. If I was to do the same distances by myself, maybe ten or so times."

"You already jumped on the chandelier, how much did that take out of you?"

She shrugged, "I've recovered pretty well, I would still say I could do maybe fourteen or so short jumps and then still like nine or so long ones."

I nodded, "So basically, everything about Aster says that he's going to want to go for a straight up sword fight. He's seen you teleport, but he's not sure how exactly it worked, but he's probably going to figure that as long as he stays in your face and beats you down, you won't be able to pull much of anything."

She shrugged, "I mean, if he has a way to dilate his perception so that everything is moving slower, then using it to just close the distance wouldn't help a lot."

I smiled, "But it's likely that he has no clue about the second property of the teleportation."

She frowned, "The after images? How does that help."

"Think about it, if he's slowing down his perception, then depending on how exactly it works, he might have trouble telling at first if something is really moving or not."

Her eyes widened, "So that means that if I leave the after image and change my angle of attack…"

"That will probably catch him off guard once." I told her, "That's where you throw in the twist; make strange pauses, catches in your movement. Because of his slowed perception, he's going to have to guess, do you appear still because of a bluff? Or because you're another image from teleporting?"

And that was how it was playing out, Neo made another exaggerated attack, an overcut, this time Aster held up his sword in response, only to have her strike from his side; the image of the overhead strike disintegrating like before.

I leaned forward, watching earnestly, glancing between the fight and the bar on the screen. Neo had said she could only do around fourteen or so jumps before the fight. However, that was before her Aura shell had taken damage and before she had started fighting. Just judging purely from percentages, that number had dropped drastically, she maybe had three or so left. My hands clenched involuntarily, turning my knuckles white. The question became whether Aster was making the same calculations or...

Aster let out a battle cry and threw himself at her, his broadsword striking from every possible angle as he attempted to simply crush her. My eyes narrowed, gone was the laziness from before, and I nodded as Neo scored a hit onto his shoulder. It looked like he had abandoned his Semblance all together, realizing that all he was doing was wasting energy. He was hoping that he could simply crush her using his raw technique and strength. I could not longer resist a smirk; the odds had been good, but I was relieved to see that he had panicked rather than sit back and assess, likely stung into action by being humiliated in front of his peers.

That desperate hope that he could merely crush her was horrifically misplaced; Neo had been trained rigorously by a Huntress that had taught hundreds of accomplished warriors; her own skills honed by battle. Aster, for all of his ability and talent, had only ever been trained by nobles who had long lost their teeth for the art of war.

This fight was over, he just hadn't accepted that reality yet.

The crowd had grown silent as the fight descended into an all out brawl. Finally, Neo slipped through Aster's guard and connected with her umbrella once, twice, then landed a vicious uppercut straight to his chin. The young nobleman went to the ground unmoving, and the electronic board beeped as his Aura bar depleted completely.

"Winner: Neopolitan Gialatta, representing Rowan Laisren!" Douglas roared.

There was a moment of silence, then there was a woman's laugh and I turned to see Camille. She stood up and then began to clap; Rudas followed her, then Bailus. Soon, the whole stadium was applauding as even those on Yarrow's side joined in.

"Well that was most... exhilarating." The skull-faced nobleman breathed. "If you will excuse me." He bowed and then walked out of the box.

I looked down to the arena to see Neo staring up at me and slowly her face split into a smile. I returned it as it began to sink in: we had survived.

 _We_ had won.

* * *

"That was a most excellent display of prowess Mistress Gialatta." Rudas Fitzroy bowed and Neo returned the gesture.

"Please; you flatter me." She responded politely.

Rudas snorted, "You're far too humble." He jerked his thumb. "Even Bailus here was impressed." He turned and grinned ruefully, "Though he'd never admit it after the fact."

Bailus rolled his eyes, and then faced Neo, "I look forward to observing your future endeavours." He said, bowed, then walked off.

Rudas turned to us and shook his head, "Believe me, that's the nicest thing I think I've heard him say all month. I certainly share his sentiment though; I hope you two come to more parties. I'm usually bored stiff." He bowed once more, "Until we meet again."

I returned the gesture, "Until then."

I watched him walk off and sighed, after the fight, the banquet was more or less over, the assorted noblemen and women being called to the front as their transport arrived. Lusban had assured me that he would be able to pick us up as soon as I contacted him, no matter the line. Having a ninja as a chauffeur certainly had its benefits.

Largely I suspected due to the outcome of the fight, many of the assorted guests had decided to formally make my acquaintance, and even my head was spinning trying to decide out of all of them the ones that I suspected would be at all useful in the future.

"Well _that_ was exciting; you really know how to give a performance, Neopolitan." I turned around to see Camille Zheleznaya standing behind us, with a large green-haired man in a tuxedo standing at her side.

She grinned as she saw my gaze flit over the man, "Oh, that's right, you were never introduced, this is Bruce, he's one of my father's men."

"A pleasure." I told him.

The man simply scowled at me.

"Oh Bruce, that's not polite." She scolded him, then turned back to me, "I'm sorry, he's awfully shy."

"Ma'am, we really should be going, your father is going to be worried." Bruce said, his voice rough, almost to the point of sounding inhuman, like a beast had learned to talk.

She rolled her eyes, "Father is always worried." She smiled and sighed, "Oh well, I do hope we meet again soon." Then to my surprise, she held out the back of her hand to Neo. Who hesitated, but then swiftly brushed her lips across it, her face slightly red.

Camille's eyes twinkled mischievously, "Good-bye, Neopolitan, Rowan." And with that she walked toward the exit, Bruce following closely behind.

"What was that about?" I asked.

Neo grinned, "What? Are you jealous?"

I opened my mouth to answer, when suddenly the air took on a chill. I turned to see the man in the skull mask standing silently a few paces in front of me.

I composed myself and bowed slightly, "Hello again."

He returned the gesture, "I apologize for leaving so abruptly." He told me, "There were certain… matters… I had to attend to."

He turned to Neo, "That was well fought." He said, "For one so small… you have great spirit."

I winced slightly, Neo always had been prickly about her height and I could see her trying to think what to make of the backhanded compliment, then she bowed, "Thank you for your words." She said, keeping her face and voice neutral.

The figure cocked his head, "Hmm… have I caused offense? I apologize, many say that I am too… blunt… with my words. I meant only praise, you are quite capable."

Neo bowed again, a shade deeper, "You are forgiven, thank you for your praise."

"Hmm…" The man turned to me, "Yarrow will not be able to show his face for months. You have my thanks… the man is tiresome at best; at worst…" Although I could not see the man's face, I could practically feel his smile oozing from beneath the wooden mask, "Well, it makes me wish I had the opportunity to show him what _true_ pain is."

He turned to go, "I so rarely find anyone… _interesting_ … among the nobility." He said over his shoulder, "Please visit me sometime; in the days to come, it will pay to have allies that are both capable and interesting."

The man began to walk away, "I'm sorry, I don't think I ever caught your name." I called after him.

He stopped, "Oh, that's right, this… mask." He turned back around, "It had become so natural that I had stopped thinking about it." He reached up and removed it, revealing a wide face, framed by wild, deep-red hair, and I barely managed to stifle a gasp.

"My name is Sange Rouge, it is a… delight… to make your acquaintance. Now, if you'll excuse me." He turned and walked off into the crowd.

* * *

At the time, I thought that I had been blessed. It had been a _fantastic_ party. My own status had shot to stellar heights after Neo's victory over Aster; bringing Yarrow's crashing down. We had made a kind of fre-nemy relationship with the Rashin twins. Then we had managed to even catch the attention and maybe even some good will of the only other big player there.

At the time, I couldn't believe my luck.

Now I know better, and every day I bitterly curse my misfortune.


	16. Chapter 16

**Thanks to TehGramarPolise for his help with this chapter.**

* * *

The scroll rang twice before someone picked up, "Yes?" A rough voice growled on the other end.

Roman Torchwick grinned, "Hey there, buddy, old pal, listen... I need to speak to your boss."

"Who is this?" The voice asked.

Roman rolled his eyes, "C'mon, really? You know who this is, just put your boss on."

There was a brief silence and then a woman's voice came over the scroll, "Roman, it's so good to hear from you, what have you been up to?"

"Oh you know, taking over all of Vale's criminal enterprises."

"Hmm… So depressing to have talent like yours being wasted in the little leagues."

Roman chuckled, then frowned as Neo yanked at his arm, "What?" He asked. Neo smiled and mimed a wave, then blew a kiss. He rolled his eyes, "Oh yeah, Neo says hello." The shorter woman clapped her hands excitedly and stood on her toes eagerly to better hear the response.

"Hello Neo dear, long time no see; kill anyone interesting lately?"

Neo made a short chuffing sound and kicked at the ground. "Unfortunately no." Roman replied for her.

"Chin up dear, there's always tomorrow, so what can I do for you Roman?"

Roman smiled, "About that, I have a client here who's attempting to make a good first impression of the firepower variety. They've given me quite the budget to procure a suitable specimen and I was wondering if you could assist me in any way."

"Hmmm…" The woman asked someone a question, to which they replied curtly, she laughed, "Oh, I've got just the thing for you… I'm assuming that your scroll has the… usual… encryptions?"

"You'd be right." Roman replied, a few seconds later, the scroll beeped and Roman looked to see that a file had been sent. He opened it and then slowly grinned as he examined its contents, "Oh, that'll do nicely…"

* * *

The Atlesian interrogator paused the recording that they had managed to pull off Roman's scroll, "Who is this woman? We know that she helped you illegally procure prototype military unit-"

"Do you really have to say 'illegally'?" Roman interrupted, "I was unaware that there were legal ways to acquire Paladins before they were available to the Atlesian military."

The masked man sighed, "Who is the woman?" He repeated.

"Also I saw the projected completed models, do you guys seriously not know of any other colors besides gray, black, and white?" Roman pursed his lips in consideration, "I always thought that a deep red or a nice orange would be nice-"

He was cut off as the interrogator's fist snapped forward and smashed against the side of his head. Roman laughed as blood began to trickle from a cut on his forehead. "That's the best you got?" He taunted him, "Your fashion sense hurts worse than your punches." The interrogator's face flushed and he pulled back his fist for another blow.

"That's enough, Sergeant." General Ironwood commanded.

The interrogator stepped back smartly and the General stepped forward in front of the man strapped to the chair. "Wait outside." Ironwood told him.

The man saluted and walked out the door, shutting it behind him. Ironwood sighed and rubbed his temples. "You're making this far more difficult than it needs to be." He told him.

Roman rolled his eyes, "C'mon… really? Good cop, bad cop? This is amateur hour."

Ironwood's face hardened, "You know we could easily just make you disappear up here." He informed him.

Roman rolled his eyes, "If you were going to do that, then you already would have." He grinned and leaned forward, "And we both know why you won't do that, or rather, why you _can't_ do that."

"You seem rather confident." Ironwood remarked.

Roman sighed, "One: You can't leave me in Vale custody, it'd be too much of a black eye if they found out who I really was. Two: You can't land in Solitas, because as soon as you do, it's only a matter of time before someone busts me out. Three: I know of at least two different groups riding your ass, making certain that there's no overly funny business like disappearances going on. Either of which could royally screw up your day."

Roman leaned back, "How am I doing so far?"

Ironwood ground his teeth, "You are an incredibly irritating man."

Roman's smile turned vicious, "There are far worse things to be… a backstabbing bastard is one of them. Tell me… still think it was worth it?"

General Ironwood visibly flinched, and his lips tightened. He then abruptly whirled around and opened the door. "Carry on, Sergeant." He told him stiffly as he passed him by.

The masked man walked back into the room, "Worth it!" Roman cried out after Ironwood before he could close the door. The interrogator pulled back his fist...

* * *

Journal Entry 283

Another interrogation, another set of bruises, but have to say I rather enjoy these sessions. I smart-mouth and they hit me, but I mean really, Neo hits me harder for fun than these 'interrogators' that Atlas digs up. Not a single one of them was hired from a former organization, I can tell because I wouldn't be able to still write if they had been.

Anyway, where were we… oh right, Neo and I had just made a name for ourselves across Solitas. Barely a few days after the banquet I was officially declared head of Laisren Aerial Manufactory, although by then our Electorship had indeed changed hands to the Rashin as I had feared it would. It was no coincidence that the transfer had occurred right when I was all but guaranteed to be taking over the company.

To be honest though, losing the Electorship didn't really bother me; after all, there had been no guarantee that I would even inherit the company until then. Now that it was firmly in my grasp, I was certain I could pull it up by its bootstraps and surpass the Rashin once more.

Barely an hour after the announcement was made, I was already getting to work.

* * *

"This over here is where we assemble the wings." Sunil pointed over to a large series of vats, molds, and giant platforms where a small army of welders and riveters were at work.

"The individual pieces are formed from molds, and then when they're cooled they're attached into the desired configuration before they are finally assembled with the rest of the airship."

I nodded as the older man lead Neo and myself along the catwalk that oversaw the massive assembly floor, "What's that?" I asked, stopping to point at a massive machine with a large series of pipes running through it.

"That's the cooler, the molds are run through that and it has a special mixture of Dust to rapidly chill it, along with an etcher that inserts another Dust mixture into the metal inside the mold to ensure that the rapid cooling doesn't weaken it. That innovation alone saves us on average four hours of production time without compromising wing strength. Your mother's idea, of course."

I shook my head, the whole manufactory was a monument to my mother's genius. Even though it was built over a decade ago, it held more technological innovations than the rest of Remnant put together.

Even as I'm sitting here and writing this, well over half of the technologies and techniques she invented have still yet to be replaced. The very engines of the top of the line airship in which I am currently being held prisoner were made according to the specifications she laid out in blueprints she created when she was nineteen.

You can see how my task of somehow re-inventing the company to surpass or to even match her legacy seemed more and more daunting to me at the time.

"Anyway, that's about it as far as the overview of the manufacturing process goes," Sunil stood stiffly with his hands folded neatly behind his back, "Did you have any other questions?"

I frowned as I leaned to gaze over the catwalk, "How long has it been since we've updated the Dust mixtures?"

Sunil grimaced, "As far as I'm aware, not since your uncle took over." He looked like he was about to say more, then hesitated.

I raised an eyebrow, "And?" I asked.

The man shifted uncomfortably, "There have also been… rumors… that the Dust mixtures aren't as pure as they once were… our rate of wings and other molded parts not passing inspection has increased steadily over the past few years due to flaws created from the cooling process."

I sighed as I stood up. As it was unlikely that I was going to be able to vastly improve upon many of my mother's technical advancements. I had decided that it was things exactly like that where I would probably find more success in improving the company's fortunes.

"Well then, I think I've seen enough, take me to the boardroom."

Sunil bowed his head, "Yes sir, Baron Lasiren."

Inwardly I gloated at the title, even while I kept my face impassive. Damn it felt good to be Baron.

However, I knew I would never be satisfied until I was king… metaphorically speaking.

* * *

Sunil lead us away from the manufactory floor back to the hangar that held the Bullhead that we had rode in on.

Neo held up a hand to stop Sunil and I. She then walked into the Bullhead with a small device held in one hand.

"I take it then that the boardroom is not actually in the manufactory itself?" I asked him.

Sunil shook his head, "In the past it's true that your mother held board meetings here, but that room hasn't been used since-"

"Since my uncle took over, right?"

Sunil simply nodded and I sighed, it was a small thing, but the significance of the action ran through my head as Neo searched the ship for sabotage and other foul play.

Changing the room that the board meet in, no doubt full of creature comforts and the trappings of wealth in power meant signified a change in power and of an era. What interested me from what Sunil had said, is that the old room hadn't been demolished.

Moving the room was all well and good, but by far the more potent symbol would have been to demolish the old one. In addition, to emphasize the change, take the worst, the most insignificant, or most obtrusive decoration from it and place it in a spot that was either very out of the way, or in a spot where it would be in the corner of everyone's eye. Of course, while trumpeting it as a way to hold onto a memento of my mother's era.

The fact that such an act hadn't been done bothered me as I filed it away under a disturbing trend I had been noticing, even as I deliberated on how I would remodel the old board room for use once more.

I would have a portrait of her placed behind me once the meetings were back in the old room, I decided; it would drive home the point that I was her son, and I was the one in charge now.

Neo emerged from the Bullhead and gave me a thumb's up, "People don't want to hear a mouse squeak…" She said.

"They want to hear a woman roar." I answered, completing the code phrase and I walked toward the Bullhead's loading ramp.

It had been after Lusban had revealed himself and his shape-shifting Semblance that I had truly begun to appreciate Cola's paranoia with bizarre code phrases. So far Neo and I had constructed several dozen that we would cycle through at random, deciding every morning upon a new one.

Even as I settled down into one of the several passenger seats that had been inserted into the Bullhead, optimizing it for its use as a passenger craft; I remembered the inspiration for that phrase with a sad smile. I thought back to the idyllic days with Kyoko and Keara, which already seemed like it had been a life time ago; Keara belting out a folk song for Neo to sing with her sweet, clear voice as I dried the dishes and Kyoko looked on with bemusement.

Keara would never roar out in song again; I had contacted the doctors in charge of caring for her a couple of days ago and they had stated that she would never recover. Most of the time she sat around as if in a daze, having to be prompted to do even the bare minimum required to survive like eat or drink. The doctors had explained that there had simply been too much blood loss, so much that her brain cells had begun to die as insufficient oxygen made it to the brain. From hearing them describe it, it was a wonder if she was alive at all, if the state that she had been reduced to could be even called a 'wonder'.

I shook my head to clear it as the Bullhead lifted off, shooting off into the sky. I pulled out my scroll and quickly looked through the file I had constructed the night before with Lusban. I needed my head clear if I was going to play the power games of the elite. For too long the board had been without a firm hand to keep them under control… that would all change today.

"We're coming up on the tower now, Baron Laisren." Sunil said over his shoulder.

I looked up to gaze out the window and raised an eyebrow, I had to give my uncle this, he certainly could pick a location. The tower loomed on a cliff overlooking Mantle, rising majestically above the city below.

"What else is housed here?" I asked Sunil.

"Research and development mostly." He answered, "In addition, to the financial department."

"Hmmm..." I leaned back in the chair as the Bullhead began descending toward the hangar, it would be a waste not to use such prime real estate… maybe we would have our board meetings here sometimes once my control was more secure.

"That cliff looks pretty steep," Neo remarked, "Is the facility only reachable by air?"

Sunil nodded, "That is correct. The workers report to a designated facility which shuttles them to the facility. It helps with security. Your uncle implemented the system when he transferred the boardroom here."

So my uncle had at least done some things right after he had taken over, I thought as the Bullhead landed. I unbuckled the seatbelt and stood up; Neo was already heading to the ramp and exited the craft to inspect the area. I stopped at the top of the ramp and fiddled with Melodic Cudgel a bit while I waited. Neo and I had taken up sparring to keep our skills sharp and I found the weapon overall quite delightful to use. The cane was finely balanced and I had surprised myself with how well I had been able to hold my own in our sessions. Although I suspected that Neo sometimes held back to prevent my feelings from getting hurt.

I made a mental note to acquire Neo a sparring partner that was closer to her in skill. It wouldn't do to have her hold back against me and cause her own combat skills to decay. Neo appeared back at the bottom of the ramp, "Doiteain Anam Mna?" She asked me.

"'The Firebird's Child." I replied and sighed slightly as I made my way down the ramp, that had been the code we had agreed upon if no one had been there to meet me. I was equally put out and strangely relieved in equal measure. On the one hand, I was slightly insulted that there hadn't been fanfare to announce my arrival. On the other hand, I could put off the moment where I had to make my all important first impression to the board.

Sunil followed me down the ramp, "With your permission, Baron Laisren, I would lead you to the boardroom."

I gestured for him to proceed and he led us out of the hangar area and into a series of hallways that opened up into a large lobby area with several elevators set off to the side.

There was a woman typing rapidly at a desk and her eyes widened as she looked up to see the three of us entering. She abruptly stood up and bowed at the waist, "Baron Laisren." She greeted me.

Sunil nodded to her, "Hello Melanie, we require access to the boardroom, access code: 794364."

"Of course, they're meeting now." Melanie straightened and rapidly typed on her computer, one of the lights above an elevator lit up. "There, was there anything else?"

"Just one more thing," I replied, "Please don't notify the board, I want it to be a surprise."

She bowed again, "Yes sir, of course sir."

"My thanks." Something pricked at the back of my mind but I shoved it away as the three of us walked over to the elevator and got inside. Sunil pressed the button and the elevator shot up rapidly, making my ears pop.

The elevator dinged and the doors opened seconds later to reveal a grand atrium that nearly made my jaw drop at its opulence. Tropical trees created an avenue leading up to a set of double doors, to the side a fountain shot water high into the air, and on the other stood a massive statue of a bird with wings outstretched made entirely out of gold.

Sunil lead Neo and I under the canopy and towards the double doors, once there, he stepped off to the side. "After you sir."

I swallowed nervously despite myself and I felt Neo reach out and squeeze my hand in reassurance. I nodded to her in gratitude and turned back to the doors, I squared my shoulders, composing myself for what was to come.

"Here we go." I muttered and slammed the doors wide open.

* * *

I stood at the entryway and quickly scanned the room. There was a long mahogany table in the center, with eight men seated at the sides. At the head of the room stood my uncle, a holographic display on the wall behind him showing several graphs. My eyes tracked up above him and my eyes widened to see a large portrait of my mother behind him.

For a moment I was stunned into stillness, two entirely different emotions raged through me, the first of which was disbelief; my uncle surely couldn't be so incompetent as to have left such a potent symbol when he knew I would be coming sooner than later. A young man in front of several grown men demanding that they accept his authority was one thing. Entirely another matter was the boy's mother who had built the company to greatness looking down upon them from above him.

The second emotion was... grief.

The portrait was so unbelievably lifelike, somehow in that painting I saw all that loved in my mother. Her strength, her wit, her fire… somehow all of that was present in a way that a mere photograph could never portray. I had never really been able to properly mourn my mother, and suddenly I felt short of breath as the old wound ripped itself open reducing me to a trembling boy inside.

I heard someone clear their throat and I dropped my gaze to see my uncle smiling widely, "Ah, it is so good to see you nephew, take a seat and we can begin introductions after I have concluded my presentation."

I almost followed his instructions, almost lifted my foot, almost took that single, fateful step when I felt a sharp kick at the back of my heel from Neo.

The pain lanced through me, clearing my mind and suddenly something in the man's voice made everything click. The portrait was a gamble, intended to elicit the exact emotions that even now faded as anger roared to take its place. Even the way he had addressed me, not as 'Baron Laisren' not even as 'sir', but as his nephew was a ploy to destroy my authority. If I conceded just this once in a moment of weakness, then the entire board would forever see me as a child under my uncle's wing.

It would make me Baron in everything but reality.

I forced a smile to my lips, "Put it away for now _Mr._ Laisren." I said, stressing his lack of title. I walked forward, each step punctuated with the tap of my cane against the floor. "I have several announcements to make."

My uncle quickly bowed, "Of course."

I paused just long enough to let him know that I noticed his continued lack of honorifics and his face flushed slightly as he hastily sat down.

"Now then." I said as I turned to face the room, "As you all know I am Rowan Laisren, son of Ciara Laisren; I have come to take what is rightfully mine, the great and prestigious Laisren Aerial Manufactory." My eyes swept the room. "However, I can't help but notice that the greatness and the prestige have both decayed as of late. It has come to my attention that our position in the world has fallen sufficiently that the Rashin have taken the Electorship."

The assembled men's expressions all shifted slightly to various states of remorse and shame; all of which was so laughably an act that I almost snarled. None of these men truly cared, some were confident that nothing would happen to them, others no doubt knew that should they be released, they would still make out with millions. All of these men had been around since my mother, her one failing being that she was a far better engineer than business woman; unable or unwilling to be ruthless enough to remove the leeches that had attached themselves to her. They were all convinced that if they had survived her, they could survive me.

It was time to show them just how dreadfully wrong they were.

"The first order of business will be an exhaustive review of our manufacturing methods." I informed them, "Our production lines are over a decade old, there's bound to be at least some places where there's new technology available. The committee for this will be headed by Sunil," I gestured to the older man who bowed to the assembled board members. "I want you to search high and low for the best technical advisors in Remnant for this task, money is not an object."

"Second, the entire Manufactory will be undergoing a comprehensive audit, I want to know how every lien is spent. If I'm going to run this company, I need to know this company inside out." I tapped my cane against the floor, "Another thing, I will be selecting my own team to accomplish this task."

That got a reaction, the tension around the table heightened noticeably as a man with slicked back, black hair raised his hand. "Baron Laisren, if I might be so bold, our last audit was barely two weeks ago. It would cost several hundred thousand lien for our department to run another one on such short notice."

I smiled, "That's why Mr. Wilkens, I said I would be hiring my own team for this task."

The man blinked his eyes slowly in confusion, "Do you mean you will be hiring an outside firm for this task? Sir, that's preposterous! We'll be exposing our entire operation to a third party!"

"Well, it's not like that will be anything new." I remarked.

There was a stunned silence around the table, "Wh-What do you mean by that sir?" Mr. Wilkens stuttered.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out my scroll, "Gentlemen, I recognize that with my mother gone that you all have… wavered… in your dedication to this company." I said as I tapped in a few commands on the device. "However, none so more than Auburn Wilkens here who decided to begin selling our financial information to our competitors."

The charts and graphs on the holographic display winked out, and was replaced by several text messages.

I waved my cane and pointed at the first message, "Exhibit A: we see Mr. Wilkens negotiating a price with a certain Skywing Incorporated in Mantle. In particular, they were interested to see what our bid was likely to be in a contract with Lutherson, a trade conglomerate looking to expand their shipping fleet. As you can see in this message here." I pointed my cane down at the second message, "They agreed upon the sum of two million lien. Quite a tidy sum Mr. Wilkens, that new beach house in Vacuo must be quite lovely."

The man's mouth opened and closed like a fish as he stared bug-eyed in horror at the damning transcripts.

"This is another favorite of mine." I remarked as I scrolled down, "Exhibit B: which contains Mr. Wilkens negotiating an interesting arrangement with the Schnee Family, on this we have some delightful audio from the transaction." I hit the play button on the audio file.

"Hmm… so we're agreed then, you purchase our 75% purity stock at two million above price?"

"Agreed, and I get to pocket the difference in budget." Mr. Wilken's voice echoed over the speakers, "Of course, all official records state that we purchased the expected 90% purity stock as per our usual arrangement."

"Of course, although I have to ask, won't this increase the faults in the inspection process to overly suspicious levels?"

There was a chuckle from Mr. Wilkens, "I've been getting away with the 85% stock for years under the boy's uncle, now that I'm dealing with the nephew I wouldn't be surprised if we're negotiating for 65% stock in a few months time."

"If you say so... have to say Mr. Wilkens I would be obligated to treat you to dinner if you managed to pull that off. It's hard enough selling the 75% at any decent price, but the 65%? You'd make my year."

Mr. Wilken's gave another laugh, "Well then, hopefully I'll be talking to you soon enough."

The audio cut out, leaving the room in a silence so thick it was stifling.

Abruptly Mr. Wilkens jumped to his feet, "This is insane!" He snarled, "I've been framed, I swear I would never-"

I gestured sharply to Neo, who stepped forward and smacked the man over the head with her umbrella. His eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fell to the ground in a heap.

"Had you begged on your knees Mr. Wilkens, I might have been merciful. Now I will take every lien you own in court. You will be less than a wreck of a man once I'm finished with you." My voice echoed softly in the silent room.

"Mistress Gialatta," Neo turned to me, "If you would be so kind to bring this man down to the men in the lobby waiting to take him into custody."

Neo grabbed the man by his oily hair and dragged him out the doors, leaving the room in shocked silence.

I cleared my throat, "Gentlemen, I will make this very, very clear. I expect obedience, and I expect loyalty. Competency is optional, but you will find you keep your position on this board longer if you achieve it."

I closed the holographic display, "Laisren Aerial Manufactory has been wallowing in mediocrity for far too long, I mean to drag it back into greatness kicking and screaming if that's what it takes."

I waved the men off, "You are dismissed for the day, and all of you have 48 hours to report any… liberties… you have taken with your positions. If you don't, then rest assured, I will find out, and you will regret it dearly."

I paused as though a thought had just struck me, "Also, I will be paying an one hundred thousand lien bonus for any report that is about one of your compatriots on the board, not including Mr. Wilkens of course. With a one million lien bonus if they fail to report it themselves and thus find them excluded from our company."

My gaze fell upon each of the men in turn, "Do I make myself clear?"

There was a silent nod around the table, and in particular I paid close attention to my uncle's own deadpan face, watching for any kind of reaction.

"Very well, you are all dismissed, we will reconvene 48 hours from now in the old boardroom. You may go."

The board members all slowly filed out of the room, leaving just Sunil and myself, "Sunil, you may go as well, the next few days are going to be very busy for you. Get some rest while you can."

The older man bowed to me and departed, leaving me alone. I turned to gaze at the portrait, admiring the art once more.

I stood there for a long time, feeling a small swell of pride. That woman portrayed there was my mother, Ciara Laisren, the woman who had changed airship manufacture and travel as Remnant knew it. Who had risen to become one of the Merchant Nobility Electors of Mantle and had earned the respect of Cola Malaika, one of the most powerful men in Solitas...

Yet despite of all that, she still failed you.

The thought came out of nowhere and wormed its way into my head, causing me to take an unconscious step backward.

Her money, her power, her ability, none of it had been enough to protect me… she had spared the life of the man who had ended up killing her and had nearly succeeded in killing me; leaving those I cared about dead or as good as dead.

The mines, the pain, the fear… all of it had been because of her...

I shook my head to clear it of the insidious thoughts and looked at the painting once more, but the finely painted lines were ruined for me now. What had once evoked feelings of admiration and pride, was now tainted by a slow, anger that felt like it was eating away at me from the inside.

I turned away from the painting, "I will not make your mistakes mother." I said quietly, "But I thank you… for everything."

I walked out of the room and closed the doors behind me, I would have Sunil take the portrait down, I decided as I walked through the ornate lobby and towards the elevators. I would allow him to decide where its new home should be…

So long as he kept it and the painful thoughts it brought with it far away from me.

* * *

I made my way down to the hangar. When I arrived I found the Bullhead's ramp already lowered, "Are the eggs in the basket?" I called up it.

"The eggs have found a home." Neo's voice replied, I smiled in satisfaction as I walked up into the Bullhead, the ramp slowly closing behind me.

Inside was Neo seated next to the bound form of Mr. Wilkens, his eyes were wide and he was struggling at the ropes that bound him.

I walked up beside his chair and raised his chin with the tip of my cane, "Now Mr. Wilkens." I told him, "You have two choices, you can either tell me everything, in which case I will let you go with a small sum of cash and you never return to Solitas. Or you can resist, and I will yank the answers out of you and then make you disappear."

I withdrew the cane from under his chin and leaned forward, "Do you understand?"

The man nodded eagerly and I ripped the gag out of his mouth, "What do you want to know?" He asked me desperately.

I smiled, "Everything."

Damn did it feel good to be king.


	17. Chapter 17

**Thanks to** **TehGramerPolise and MasterofBones** **for their help with this chapter.**

* * *

Journal Entry 251

List of things to do once I'm free:

Give Neo a hug

Give victorious speech; extra points for looking absolutely amazing while doing it (Shouldn't be too hard, it's me after all)

Vent my considerable displeasure upon Gilford… ( See Entry 246) V

Use the airship to blow everything to kingdom come

Enjoy a well deserved latte and maybe killing some meddlesome brats

Profit?

* * *

Journal Entry 286

Speaking with Auburn Sally Wilkens (I know right?) confirmed what I already had suspected.

In short, my uncle had encouraged Mr. Wilkens to accelerate his profiteering when I had taken control of the company. He had even been the one to arrange the former Head of Finance's contact with Skywing Incorporated when he had leaked our budget for the contract with Lutherson.

I wasn't too surprised about any of that… what did give me pause was that there was how thoroughly my uncle had covered his tracks.

Don't get me wrong, I believed Mr. Wilkens insistence that Gavin Laisren had encouraged him, convincing him that I was a weak fool who was simply going to be a puppet and that a certain someone would pay a great deal for some leaked financial information.

It's just that there was nothing, not a single audio clip, not a single transcript, even the camera footage that should have shown when Gavin and Auburn had made the arrangement showed nothing but an empty lobby. Upon completing his investigation, Lusban had knelt before me, head bowed in shame to inform me that, if what Auburn said was true, then Gavin had covered his trail perfectly.

I shoved myself away from the desk I was sitting at, shot to my feet, and began pacing around the desk covered with papers and scrolls. The disgusting thing was that as the hours ticked by, more and more reports from the terrified members of the board came in… most also pointed toward my uncle as the one who had orchestrated it all.

The initial investigations for those looked like they would prove just a fruitless as the first. My uncle was a ghost; leaving nothing in his wake except bleating sheep.

Which made absolutely no sense.

The actual schemes themselves had almost been criminally simple to uncover, flimsy passwords, unscrubbed scrolls, easily intercepted transmissions… Lusban had been almost offended, half convinced that they were distractions to hide far more sinister plots.

Why, when my uncle was apparently so brilliant at obliterating any evidence that pointed to him, were his pawns being allowed to be caught so easily? After all, in theory at least, they would gladly support him over myself, at least before my demonstration.

My head spun in circles, trying to find some hidden angle that would mean my uncle would so casually throw such tools away. It just didn't fit… or rather, it fit into a very bizarre picture I was constructing of my uncle's capability. My uncle's brilliance was wildly erratic, going from mastermind strokes that even I was impressed by… to absolutely baffling errors that had sent the company toppling from its lofty perch in the first place.

I had to be missing something, some crucial piece to the puzzle… but what-

I let out a start as someone pulled sharply on my ear, stopping me in my tracks. I looked down to see Neo standing there with a pout on her face.

"What is it?" I snapped, slightly annoyed.

She rolled her eyes, "You've been at it for hours now, it's almost time."

I grimaced, "Sorry."

She grinned as she casually twirled her umbrella over her shoulder. I could tell from how her eyes gleamed that she was excited as we walked out of the room and down the hall toward the mansion's private docking port.

Today was the day that I was going to find Neo a sparring partner.

I had debated with myself at length of how exactly I wished to accomplish such a task; they would have to be skilled enough that they would sharpen her skills. Yet, the issue was that they needed to be trustworthy as well.

It had been while I was casually flipping through the television channels that I received an inspiration.

"Neo?" I had called.

"Yeah?"

"Have you ever wanted to enter a tournament?"

Because that very weekend was the Atlesian Melee, a tournament that still goes on to this very day. It's an open tournament held by the Rashin family with a several hundred thousand lien prize pool.

I paused for a moment to reflect as I walked up the ramp to enter the waiting airship. To say that it felt strange to be boarding my very own airship to fly over to another city practically on a whim would be leaving a bad connotation… while it certainly felt surreal, it also felt… appropriate.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to be leaving the board of directors to their own devices like this?" Neo asked me as we took our seats.

I grinned, "You saw them after we took Mr. Wilkens away, I daresay we have at least a few days before they start trying anything else."

Neo shrugged, "Fair enough.

"Are you ready sir?" Lusban asked from the cockpit.

"Take us away Lusban."

And with that we lifted off into the sky.

* * *

As soon as we landed in Atlas, Neo quickly donned the simple armor that we had acquired that would help cover her features. Lusban had begun helping her use the illusion part of her Semblance to potentially help to disguise herself without the need for such things, but for now it was necessary if we wanted to keep her identity a secret.

"Alright, wish me luck." Neo said as she closed the visor on the helmet.

"Go kick some butt." I told her.

She crouched slightly, and then jumped, disappearing into thin air as she used her Semblance to teleport past the ceiling of the airship.

A few seconds later I descended the ramp, and was almost instantly blinded by flashing lights and drowned in a cacophony of noise.

"Baron Laisren! Baron Laisren!" One reporter shouted at me, "What do you have to say about your company's loss of the Electorship?"

"Baron Laisren! What are your plans for reassuring investors coming into the next quarter?"

Lusban had shifted his features into a large, burly man in a suit and dark sunglasses while in the airship and started to use his newfound bulk to clear a path through the mob.

"Baron Laisren!"

"Baron Laisren!"

When we were about in the middle of the throng, I suddenly stopped and the crowd suddenly went silent, as though sensing I was about to speak.

I tapped Melodic Cudgel on the ground idly, enjoying the brief moment of control as everyone around me froze with baited breath; even as I did, my eyes flicked up to see a shadow flit past overhead, completely unnoticed by everyone else around me.

"I would like to say," I began, "That I am fully aware that Laisren Aerial Manufactory has hit its lowest point in perhaps its entire existence." There was a slight murmur and I held up a hand, "I'm aware of course, that the stock has been lower, the facilities less advanced, and the budget smaller in the past; but nowhere does one feel lowest than when one has fallen from a great height." I rose my head defiantly, "However, I assure all of you gathered here today, that we shall rise again, under my leadership, the company will soar to heights that even my mother, the esteemed Ciara Laisren could dream of reaching. We shall move forward, with honesty, integrity, and innovation to not only survive, but to go beyond. Thank you."

The crowd was quiet as I began walking forward once more and followed Lusban into the elevator.

"Baron Laisren!"

"Baron Laisren!"

Lusban held back the surging crowd, even as he mashed the 'close' button on the elevator, with one last mighty shove, he sent them reeling backwards as the doors closed with a soft _click_.

I sighed heavily, "Vultures."

Lusban shrugged, "Gou-hui xian ament giyang shouhou."

I frowned, "That sounds like Old Mistralian, but I'm unfamiliar with the dialect."

Lusban bowed his head slightly, "It is the dialect of the steppes, from where your clan originated, it means 'the dogs bark as they will'."

I grimaced, "Doesn't mean I wouldn't like to kick them."

Lusban gave a sharp laugh at that as the elevator stopped, I frowned as I looked at the floor number.

"This isn't the ground floor." I noted.

Lusban nodded, "We're swapping elevators, otherwise there's going to be a similar crowd to greet us at the bottom."

"Huh, fair enough." I answered.

"Yes but there's-"

The elevator doors opened to reveal a short woman with large glasses and two curled horns on the sides of her head.

Lusban sighed, "-always one that gets through. Hello, Begonia."

The woman smiled up at him, "Hello, Lusban."

I raised an eyebrow, "I'm hoping that not every reporter knows your actual identity."

"Baron Laisren, meet Begonia Evengard." Lusban gestured to the Faunus woman, "She's part of your information network."

"And one of the greatest reporters at _The Fang_." Begonia interjected, she leaned forward, rapidly clicking the pen in her right hand. "Speaking of which, I'm here for my payment…"

Lusban sighed and turned to me, "We don't pay Begonia with money, rather she comes to us when she wants the inside track on a story." He shrugged, "It's a bit of a pain, but she gets good info."

"I see…" I turned back to the Faunus woman, "So… what can I help you with Miss Evengard?"

"Auburn Wilkens disappeared shortly after you took control." Her eyes gleamed as she gazed up at me, "Are there any comments from the Baron? Perhaps any idea of what has become of the man?"

"Hmm…" I considered for a moment and then shrugged, "We had a clash of views upon some subjects." I told her, "He was given a generous severance package and I believe has decided to depart Solitas to see the world."

The Faunus' eyes narrowed as she wrote rapidly on her notepad, "Hmm… alright, that's workable…"

I blinked, "That's 'workable'?" I asked her.

Begonia rolled her eyes, "You think I actually care at all if that's true? Spirits no, you could have sent the man into a river with a brick around his neck for all I care. What matters is that I'm getting the account directly from you…" Her eyes narrowed sharply and I almost took an unconscious step backwards from the intensity of her gaze. "And of course you will give no account otherwise… at least not until my own story is published."

I looked helplessly up at Lusban, who nodded, "That's essentially the agreement."

I made a mental note to ensure that Lusban informed me of any other such _agreements_ , when we returned to the mansion.

"Next: Rumors abound that the Faunus, Sunil Alemanni has risen to head a company wide audit, can we expect a return to your mother's more meritocratic ways? Is it possible that perhaps we could even see a Faunus rise so high as to be a member of the board of directors under your tenure?"

I barely managed to keep my surprise from learning that Sunil was a Faunus from showing on my face, for how little good that did me, those purple eyes seemed to be able to pierce right through my soul.

"Anyone who can prove themselves will rise within Laisren Aerial Manufactory," I assured her, "Sunil has shown to be a valuable member of the company, however at the moment," I put extra emphasis on the last word, "The only vacancy is finance, and I think for an engineer like Sunil I couldn't pick a more perfect torment if I tried."

Begonia nodded in satisfaction at that, "Alright…FYI kiddo, if you're considering creating some other vacancies; there are plenty of Faunus who would love it if you gave the can to Moccasin Vandergelder, he was _allegedly_ behind some killings a while back that stunk worse than last week's garbage."

 _Kiddo?_ I reeled back a little, before I could decide how to respond the woman spoke again, "Last question: The newest sensation, Mistress Gialatta, how has a Di-Hex woman managed to rise from nothing to the bodyguard of the newest eligible bachelor of Solitas' upper crust?"

The look she gave me left me with absolutely no illusion about the angle she was going for.

I gave her my most baleful glare in response, "No. Comment." I stated.

She stared at me for a moment, then shrugged, "Eh, worth a shot."

The notepad and pen disappeared into her voluminous trenchcoat, she then turned around and began walking. "By the way," She called over her shoulder, "Take elevator 23, straight shot, no paparazzi, ciao!" She gave a little wave, then vanished around a corner.

I ran a hand through my hair and then turned to Lusban, who bowed his head apologetically. "I'm sorry sir, but she is absurdly well connected in the Faunus community… from the politics on Menagerie to the machinations of the White Fang, she's got her finger on the pulse."

I shook my head wearily, "Well at least her information will hopefully get us to the arena with no more hassle."

* * *

Whatever I may have felt Begonia, her information was good; we exited the elevator to find the surrounding area mercifully empty of reporters. Lusban secured a large black car and drove me down to the facility where the tournament was being held.

The arena itself was massive, and had been constructed for the usage of Atlas Academy by an organization called the Bardika Foundation; an organization that from what I could tell had built over half of the damn school. I made a mental note to have Lusban run a search to see what he could dig up about them as we reached the VIP entrance.

"Identification and passes." A man in light armor demanded as we approached.

I stood back as Lusban handed the man the necessary documentation.

Side note: Guards and bouncers in Atlas are some of the most laconic and difficult to intimidate men and women in Remnant. After all, they constantly brush shoulders and guard the most powerful and wealthy people in the world. This tended to leave them rather blunt and rather unimpressed with guests; no matter what their station.. I once observed a young scion of a Mistralian noble house take offense at a brusque command such as the one I had just been subjected to, "Excuse me? Do you have any idea with whom you are speaking?" He had blustered, his face turning red.

"Obviously not sir," the woman had replied, "Otherwise I wouldn't have asked for your identification."

Classic.

The guard efficiently scanned the cards and passed them back to Lusban, "Alright, fourth elevator to the right, D-8. Enjoy the tournament, Baron Laisren."

We stepped past him and rode the elevator to the upper level, the doors opened to reveal a small room, two leather seats were positioned behind a large glass window that overlooked the arena far below.

I sat in one of the seats and suddenly the glass lit up, displaying the arena floor. I looked to the side of the chair to find a scroll in a pouch at the side. I pulled it out and turned it on, soon I was able to zoom around to different perspectives of the arena. Satisfied I could oversee the arena, I sank back comfortably in the chair as a man with a microphone in his hand walked out out onto the stage.

"Let the games begin." I murmured.

* * *

The vast majority of the, 'games', ended up being passably exciting at best. The tournament scene had actually been languishing for some time in Solitas and it was showing.

Well wait just a minute Roman… with all of the powerful nobles and businessmen… how could an event that's such an easy way to show off your strength be languishing?

Well there's a few reasons actually. First of all, it's not actually those businessmen and nobles that control all of the real talent in the first place, not really.

That distinction belonged to the crime lords, and they hadn't usually participated in such events for several reasons, one of those is information.

It should go without saying knowledge is power when it comes to Semblances, and the more that a Semblance is used out in public, the more information your enemies can collect about them. The more information your enemies have, the more they can learn about the specifics and therefore the more counter-measures they can develop.

The information you gave wasn't just about Semblances though; say that you actually did want to make a statement or whatever and brought some heavy hitters to make a point. Think about it… you have, for all of the world to see, a set amount of your strength committed, which not only means that your enemies know exactly when they can hit valuable targets without that strength being there...It also means that they know where they are, likely exhausted after going through multiple rounds of fights.

Particularly in the early years, ambushes after such events were common, entire gangs were annihilated as fighters were returning to hideouts. So basically, natural selection dictated that crime lords who didn't make such mistakes stayed alive, those that did are no longer among us.

So that pretty much covers the crime lords, the High Nobility themselves only ever participated in tournaments only available to them. Those used to be a big deal back before the Great War, but ever since then, everyone that mattered essentially knew that it was a necessity so that the blue bloods of Solitas didn't get their asses kicked from one side of the continent to the other.

The Merchant Nobility is where it gets a little complicated and in tournaments like this one, that's where the muscle usually came from. As you know, most of the top dogs of the Merchant Nobility were connected with one crime syndicate or another, which meant that the whole mess about information and ambushes kind of applied to them as well. The people that really got into tournaments were the middle of the pack, the up-and-comers, and the fools that didn't know any better.

I knew better, so why had I still entered Neo in an attempt to find a suitable sparring partner?

Well, let's put all of that other stuff aside for now and talk about gambling.

There is a LOT of money in gambling on tournaments, and that money comes from everywhere. It wouldn't really be Solitas if someone didn't see an opportunity…

So I had talked with Lusban and he had arranged a meeting with the woman who had seized that opportunity.

We met in the same back room at Premiere Parte where I had previously met my uncle, I have to admit when she entered the room, my brain temporarily shut off for a moment. She was a tall woman, perhaps a hand's breadth taller than myself; her white hair bound in a long braid that trailed down her back. She was dressed in a ravishing red dress that was lined with precious gemstones that glinted in the bright light.

She swept gracefully into the room, her eyes instantly affixed themselves onto me with a calculating gaze, I managed to recover my wits sufficiently to bow my head in greeting, "Madam Bianca."

She inclined her own head gracefully, "Baron Laisren."

Her bodyguard, a lithe man with lime-green hair quickly stepped over and pulled her chair out for her. She sat down without taking her icy-blue eyes off of me.

"Your associate told me that you have a business proposal for me." She said.

I nodded, "I want to contract one of your fighters." I told her.

Alright, so here's how Madam Bianca business model went, first off, she contracted a cadre of elite fighters, men and women from all over Remnant. She also acquired control over practically all of the major gambling rings, sometimes using aforementioned fighters to convince them to sell, as well as through other means which I'll likely get to later.

Once she had accomplished all of that, she began stacking tournaments, slotting in a couple of her fighters to make sure they were exciting to watch, and if her own fighters met, making sure that storylines began forming around them to enthrall the public. If any fighters were good enough that they beat hers, she hired them too.

Soon, she controlled every top tournament fighter in Solitas; so of course, she started fixing matches, raking in huge amounts of lien from the fights.

Eventually, one of the tournament organizers found out and sat her down, threatening to bar her from any future tournaments.

She turned the tables and withdrew all of her fighters from all of the man's tournaments, which sent his viewer count crashing down. Which gave her an idea; soon she was charging organizers for using her fighters, the most popular attracting the highest prices.

That was the stage that she was at when I approached her to make my proposal.

Madam Bianca raised an eyebrow, "Just one? Are the Laisren planning to start hosting tournaments? I would recommend at least three or four in that case."

"Not exactly." I answered, "I want to hire one of your fighters as a sparring partner for my bodyguard."

She had blinked at that, for the first time seeming at a loss, "Well," She leaned back, "That's an intriguing proposal."

"I will however, want your best." I continued, "Therefore, I want you to send them to that little Rashin tournament that's going on this weekend. The winner I'll hire, think of it as an audition."

Madam Bianca said nothing for a moment, then smiled slightly, "Assuming that you pay an acceptable price, I'm interested, but I'm going to have to stipulate a few conditions."

I nodded, "Very well."

She lifted a finger, "First, this bodyguard of yours is going to have to enter the tournament as well. I refuse to have one of my best fighters practicing with a sub-par partner. She may have beaten up on some little High Nobility brat, but that means nothing to me. If she doesn't perform up to snuff, then no deal."

I raised an eyebrow, I had already been planning on signing her up at that point, but I wasn't going to tell her that. "That's acceptable." I replied.

She lifted a another finger, "Next, they have to be allowed to still enter tournaments; I can't afford to have one of my best on the bench."

I nodded, "Fair enough."

"You realize as well that this is going to bring a lot of public attention to you?" She asked.

I shrugged, "While that's true, I imagine it's mostly going to be positive; after all your fighters are celebrities here."

She grinned wickedly, "I wouldn't count on that too much; as you well know, some of my fighters have quite enthusiastically painted themselves as scoundrels or villains in the public eye." She shrugged, "However, I suppose if you don't mind it's no skin off my nose"

She lifted a third finger, "Finally, my neutrality."

This was the part I had been worried about, Madam Bianca essentially survived in the criminal underworld by giving all the major players a part of her profits. No one wanted to see that go away, so if anyone so much as sneezed on her fighters, they came down on them like a bag of cement. However, that arrangement only worked if she maintained the neutrality she had carefully crafted, if she lost that, then things would get bloody and generally a lot less profitable.

"I know who Neopolitan's adoptive father is," She informed me "If you're really connected with him, then you're going to have enemies. Whoever you hire cannot be involved in any battles; they are there purely as a consultant, that's all. Even if someone busts down your front door, my fighter doesn't touch you, doesn't touch them; they just walk away. Understood?"

I nodded, "Of course to maintain your neutrality, your fighter cannot divulge any information about me or anyone else affiliated with me."

She inclined her head gracefully to acknowledge the point, "That's true as well."

And that's what I had been counting on. I realized, as well as she did that she would be pushing her neutrality on this. However, I could also see her eyes narrowing as she began considering the possibilities arrangements like this could create; she was willing to push it.

This was my solution to the trustworthy and skilled problem of Neo's sparring partner; essentially, I was outsourcing it to Madam Bianca.

* * *

As such, when I say that the fights were 'passably' exciting at best, I mean that five last-minute entrants to the tournament were absolutely destroying the rest of the competition; leaving them as dust in their wake.

Finally however, the moment arrived, a man with a microphone walked into the center of the arena, "And now, everyone put your hands together for, Neon!" (What? You try coming up with a pseudonym in a hurry.)

Neo walked into the arena, still covered in her light armor with her umbrella over her shoulder, she waved to the audience, who cheered. She had quickly become a crowd favorite; as she had toyed with several of the middle-tier fighters, winning the crowd over with her devil-may-care attitude.

"Versus, The Jade Golem!" A short man in monk robes walked out into the arena, a metal bo-staff in his hands. At this point the crowd erupted in in a roar. The tournament had originally been a small event, really only intended to test the arena as a fighting venue; thus the Rashin originally hadn't contracted any of Madam Bianca's fighters.

So the crowd were getting a unexpected treat seeing fighters like this; The Jade Golem was ranked as one of the best fighters in the Solitas circuit, having been a premiere fighter in Mistral beforehand. The applause was absolutely thunderous as the crowd howled for blood.

"Ready… " The announcer lifted into the air on a small hovering platform until he was high above the arena. The two fighters nodded as they took up their stances.

"Begin!" The announcer yelled, his voice booming through the arena.

The first true test of the tournament had begun.


	18. Chapter 18

**I have to say that I've been strangely nervous about this chapter. I realize that because of how I've wanted to write this story that I would have to have my own take on Neo in modern day. Just as I am attempting to connect Rowan at the beginning of the story to Roman in the show, so too am I trying to do the same with Neopolitan. (As it's her story as much as his.) I guess what I'm trying to say is that I hope that you enjoy and I hope that I've been able to do it justice.**

 **Thanks to** **TehGramerPolise for his** **help with this chapter.**

* * *

Neopolitan was in a bad mood. Then again, she was almost always in a bad mood these days. The idiot who had been wailing and sobbing while begging for his life a few minutes before hadn't exactly helped matters.

She wished Rowan was here.

She knew that the members of Rowan's gang were all desperately trying to avoid her gaze, speaking only in hushed whispers. The massive headquarters they had in Vale's warehouse district had almost seemed crowded ever since she had stopped letting them ply their usual trades.

Then one idiot had snuck out and had robbed a store; it had been a small crime, but Rowan had told them that while he was gone not to commit any crimes at all. The politicians of the city would be all too happy to declare that capturing the great Roman Torchwick was the panacea to all of their ills. Those that would normally have investigated deeper were either called off or derided as fearmongers; with the press all too happy to jump in on the dog pile.

"People love convenient answers." Rowan had told her, "The only thing they love more than them is mocking those that don't accept them."

She wished Rowan was here.

The scroll at her waist vibrated and she eagerly picked it up, only to sigh in disappointment as she saw it was just the sentry reporting that everything was fine.

She returned the scroll to her waist. The nice woman had called again today, asking if she had killed anyone interesting. She had to say no… she hadn't killed anyone interesting in _forever_. That idiot from earlier didn't even come close to counting. She pouted as she looked at the blood stains that still stained the floor with crimson streaks.

She hoped that she would get to kill the blonde Huntress, at least _she_ was interesting. That fight on the train had piqued Neopolitan's interest, the girl's fighting style was straight-forward, even brutish, but the fire of her spirit was glorious to behold.

Neopolitan shivered and licked her lips, she couldn't _wait_ to snuff that fire out, that would be fun.

She frowned as she stared up at the ceiling and then sighed. She was bored, she kicked her feet idly as she wondered when that Cinder person would show up with that gray haired man and green haired woman so that she could go out and do something.

"We should kill." She gasped as her eyes darted to where it seemed like the voice should be coming from, only to find no one there.

"Kill who?" She groaned as she clasped the sides of her head with her hands; the voices were loud, so very loud.

"Does it matter?"

"Not at all, snuff the flames, snuff them all."

Neopolitan shook her head and shakily reached into her pocket. She withdrew a small container and opened it, revealing a small collection of white pills. She quickly took one and swallowed it. The voices… always the voices… they came when Rowan wasn't here. When he wasn't here, she needed to take the pills, that's what the doctor person had said.

Why? Why wasn't Rowan here? With her? Why had he left her alone?

"They took him."

"Snuff the flames, so bright, _too_ bright."

She spasmed violently, the voices weren't stopping, if they didn't stop then she'd do something Rowan wouldn't want her to do.

She reached down and yanked out her journal, think of better times, that's what the doctor person had said; Rowan had said to trust the doctor person. She flipped to an empty page.

' _Journal Entry 7412_ ' She wrote, then bit on the pen as she considered what better time to write about. Then suddenly her face brightened, that day would do...

* * *

"Begin!" The announcer's voice seemed to echo inside my skull as I threw myself at my opponent. I rapidly recalled what I had seen from the man's previous fights.

The Jade Golem, his name truly was a fitting one. His Semblance was to cover his body in jade, completely armoring himself from head to toe in the substance. From what I had seen, it wasn't an impenetrable defense. One or two of the fighters had managed to break it in places. However, whenever they had, they had never been able to exploit it as the man had been able to protect it until it repaired by either keeping out of reach or simply evading their attacks until the armor was whole once more.

I had a plan for how to exploit the opening in time. Fortunately I hadn't needed to use my own Semblance overmuch during my previous fights; I still had a ton of jumps left.

These thoughts had all been running through my mind as I had stepped up to the stage; as we threw ourselves at each other, my mind cleared as a single thought rang through my head.

 _Fighting is like a dance…_

 _Victory often goes to the one whose movements are so natural that all of their thoughts are not on the next step, but the next seven._

Keara's words ran through my mind and I felt tranquility settle over me, _and now for the opening…_

I reached down into myself and activated my Semblance. The familiar moment of nothingness washed over me and then I found myself behind my opponent as he struck his bo-staff through the after-image, shattering it.

I lunged forward, smacking him solidly on the back of his neck. I grimaced as my blow met something solid and unyielding. The man spun around and I nimbly jumped backwards to avoid his retaliatory strike.

I could see his eyes narrow as he went over the moment in his head, no doubt analyzing my attack. Unfortunately he wasn't amateurish enough to do that while standing still, and I kept my distance as he made probing attacks with his weapon.

For my part, I kept an eye on the area that I had struck: pieces of jade fell from the nape of his neck, I tracked it to see a small hole in the armor, revealing bare skin. Even as I watched, the cracks around it began smoothing over and the hole shrunk as the armor repaired itself; within about twenty seconds the protective covering was whole again.

I grinned, twenty seconds when you can freakin' _teleport_ is a lifetime.

I began by letting out a frustrated snarl and began charging forward, umbrella held high; my opponent's eyes widened and then I saw a ghost of a smile begin to form on his face.

I've always enjoyed fighting, the ability to prove and test yourself definitively against others. The ability to throw people down at my feet and have them know that they've been bested. It must be how Rowan feels whenever one of his plans come to fruition.

Part of that enjoyment though is something that Keara called the "battle trance", but I had learned that it had many names from many different cultures. To the Kensai it's the "Kina Kanpe", "The Perfect Moment", the warriors of the Northern Wastes of Solitas say that those who achieve it are, "drunk on the warrior's draught." Even that nearly extinct order of knights, the Order of the Equinox calls it, "The Dark Brother's Gift."

Whatever you call it, it's the moment when you are invincible, the enemy seems so slow, and you so fast and they fall for your every stratagem, your every gambit. They are as so much chaff before your blade and they cannot stop you. I have met so few that are able to attain this state, but they are amongst the greatest of warriors.

That smile told me that he believed my farce, he had seen my arrogance as I had demolished every fighter before him. Now he believed I had attempted my trump card, and now that it had failed I had fallen to my pride and would attack with reckless abandon, dooming myself. It was just the kind of mistake a rookie dark horse would make.

He had made his mistake, now as I entered the battle trance, I knew with certainty it would be his last of this fight.

Just as I was about to reach him, I saw the glint in his eye as he lunged forward, seeking to thrust his bo staff straight past my guard and into my sternum, using my own momentum against me. It would have been a devastating blow, had I been there to receive it.

As soon as I saw that movement begin I teleported behind him, and once more his weapon merely shattered the image I had left.

To his credit, he realized almost immediately that he had been fooled and spun around, spinning his bo staff around in a furious strike that to me seemed so very slow and ponderous.

Only to find nothing there, his bo-staff whistled through the air, encountering no resistance. He had no time to react as I fell upon him from above and with a shout, slammed my weapon into the back of his head.

He reeled forward and pieces of jade went spinning as the armor shattered. He leapt forward and turned around, bringing up his bo staff in a defensive posture. Only to fall forward as I teleported behind him and slammed my weapon into the gaping hole in his armor, he hit the ground, completely unconscious.

Everything stood frozen, The Jade Golem sprawled on the ground as the rest of his armor crumbled away, myself standing there above him, panting from the exertion.

Then the crowd roared, shattering the moment like one of my after images. I lifted my hand and waved to acknowledge their applause. However, even as I did so, my eyes turned up to where I knew Rowan would be and gave a thumb's up. Just one more to go.

I sighed heavily as I sat down in one of the fighter rooms. At the beginning, I had to share with several others, but as the tournament had gone on there had been less and less fighters, now I was all alone. After the next fight, it would be one other person and myself fighting for it all.

I flipped on the monitor that was on the wall and leaned back to watch the fight that would decide who that opponent would be.

"And in a shocking upset, The Steel Flower has defeated The Grand Assassin in an astonishing fight."

I watched, dumbstruck, I had been desperately thinking of a way to beat The Grand Assassin; he was a champion of many tournaments and had quickly reached the top of the Solitas circuit. His absolutely bewildering speed; fueled by his Semblance that granted him the ability to suddenly accelerate his limbs, made him an absolutely terrifying opponent. His twin daggers, Sonne and Nacht were weapons that dated back to ancient times, forged at a time when smiths knew how to create weapons that themselves possessed special abilities equal to that of Semblances. When someone was struck with Sonne, they would be blinded by light, and when struck by Nacht, by darkness; this allowed him to overwhelm his foes with a flurry of blows that simply beat them down.

Now, apparently he had been defeated by an even greater foe, I quickly began rewinding back to the fight. Even as I did so I bit my lip, trying to calculate how much time I had until the next fight. Hopefully I could-

That's when the door opened and a man stepped in, "Alright, you're up." He grinned as my helmeted face riveted to him, no doubt the motion betrayed my mounting anxiety as the man gave me a thumbs up, "Good luck."

* * *

I was dimly aware of the roar of the crowd as I walked up onto the stage, they were truly getting a rare treat, on one side was dark horse that had easily trounced every fighter on their way to the finals. On the other side was a fighter that was somewhat known, but had accomplished an astounding upset far beyond any of their past accomplishments.

I stared at my opponent as the announcer began introducing us; The Steel Flower was only slightly taller than myself, and like me was wearing light armor that covered their entire body; her long saber was in a plain leather sheath at her side.

The fighter across the stage merely returned my gaze evenly, as the announcer finished his introductions and began to rise high into the air, The Steel Flower unsheathed her blade and whirled it around in a salute in one fluid motion.

I returned it, trying to find that arrogance that had come so easily beforehand, but I couldn't, I was too shaken, too nervous as I imagined just how powerful my opponent had to be.

"Begin!" The announcer's voice boomed around the arena, and before I could even blink my opponent was on me. I gave ground as I deflected the blows that seemed to come from every direction imaginable. Suddenly with a flick of the wrist, The Steel Flower flicked my umbrella to the side and the blade came right for my chest. I slipped into the nothingness and teleported a few steps back; where I fell back once more into a defensive stance.

The Steel Flower suddenly stood up and rested the blade on her shoulder, "Ah c'mon, really?" She shook her head, "Madam Bianca finally lets me off the leash and I go all out to beat one her best fighters and you aren't even going to give me a fight?"

She dropped into a rush and I barely managed to get my blade up in time, I slid back as I felt my opponent's overwhelming strength threatened to overpower me. I kicked out at her shin only to have her intercept my foot with hers and stomp in on me, shoving me backwards. I desperately called forth my Semblance once again and landed on my feet several paces away.

This time she gave me no time to recover and soon I was back to stopping that weaving steel as she sought to break my guard. Which wouldn't be long, I was exhausting myself by using these teleports defensively, I knew I had to make some kind of move to get back the initiative, but I just couldn't organize my thoughts as I struggled to keep the panic in my mind from showing in my form.

I gasped as The Steel Flower stepped in once more and her blade locked with my umbrella. I tried to call forth my Semblance when suddenly her leg shot forward and slammed into my shin, shattering my concentration. I fell to one knee and grunted my opponent bore down on me with impossible strength.

It was at that moment when the announcer's voice broke into my thoughts, "... And this looks to be it folks! It's all Neon can do just to survive!"

Survive.

'They don't know what it means to survive', unbidden, Rowan's words echoed through my mind.

That's right, all I had been doing this fight was survive; I suddenly slipped in under that dreadful strength and in the split second before the blade connected I teleported to the other edge of the arena.

I took a deep breath and composed myself; why, why had I been stealing my own victory away by just surviving? That was fighting to lose…

Because, I answered myself as I watched The Steel Flower charge forward once more, I had been lying to myself. I looked upon my opponent with fresh eyes as she ran at me, she was fast, very fast, but I was faster.

However, even as I thought this, there was another emotion running under the surface… frustration.

The Steel Flower's words finally made sense, she had fought and beaten The Grand Assassin because I was there at the other end. Even as I watched her, I understood, this was another who felt the battle trance, another who felt the joy of the fight.

By fighting as I had been, I had been cheating us both out of the fight that we deserved.

And just like that, time itself seemed to slow, my mind was clear for the first time and as The Steel Flower's blade descended, I was already moving, slashing my umbrella across her chest. She tried to twist aside, but it was too late and she recoiled slightly as the blow connected.

Instantly I drew it back and jumped back, watching her carefully.

She stood up and stared at me, then suddenly, she laughed, a sweet, musical sound that seemed impossibly loud in my state of heightened awareness. Suddenly she saluted me once more and with a savage grin I responded.

And like that, we ran at each other once more.

It was just as beautiful as Rowan and I danced, but not nearly as ugly as when we sparred. Poor Rowan, he may be the smartest, most devious planner I've ever met, but he's never had a fighter's soul. Sure he may be competent in combat, but he'll never be a master, battle just doesn't sing to him like it does to me.

But The Steel Flower, she heard the song as well and together we danced. Our every strike and parry was a step from a ballet, our footwork a waltz of death. The sparks that flashed each time her blade met the steel-reinforced limbs of my umbrella was a spray of fireworks so beautiful that I laughed with wonder, a sound that was responded in kind by my opponent.

It was marvelous, it was wonderful.

It was perfection.

I'm not sure when I realized her Semblance, when I learned that beneath her armor, her very skin had turned to steel. I just know that at one moment, I realized that at any given point, she was protecting a singular spot, right at the base of her neck, just above the sternum.

Even as I realized this weakness, I knew she must have been detecting my gradually flagging strength. My quickness hadn't faded, not yet, but soon I would slow, soon I would misstep and then it would be over and I would be defeated.

And so, rather than wait for the inevitable, I took a risk.

I parried her blade, thrusted, parried again, and then as she struck I threw myself forward and time seemed to slow.

* * *

"So how exactly does your Semblance work?" Lusban had asked me.

I had shrugged, "Teleport and in my place there's an after image, I can take other people, but for some reason, things that are people-sized are harder than people themselves. Also, I can teleport through surfaces, but it's a lot more draining."

Lusban had scratched his chin, "These after images, tell me about them."

I had frowned at that, "I don't know, they're just kind of… there. Why?"

The man stepped into the shadows and pulled out a mirror, which he sent in front of me.

"I want you to try and generate an after image, don't teleport. Just generate an after image."

I had seen my face twist in concentration and then gasped as shards shattered around me.

"Again." He had demanded.

And so we had worked in front of that mirror, I had tried generating after images that didn't shatter as soon as I created them. I had managed to create ones a couple paces away from me, but whenever I tried to create ones that superimposed over my body they shattered instantly. I had tried for hours in front of that blasted mirror until I was panting with exhaustion and my vision flickered; but I had not yet succeeded.

Now however, as I lunged at that spot, just barely twisting to avoid the blade that was coming, I tried to create an after image just like the one I had never succeeded in creating.

It wouldn't have to last more than a brief second, a quick illusion that would mask my lunge and make it look like I was going to parry the blow. However, if it shattered even a millisecond too early, then my opponent would adjust and I would be thrown to the side. My already depleted Aura would give out and I would lose. It was all or nothing.

But my opponent didn't shift, and I saw her shoulders tense as she threw her weight into the blow as she expected to meet resistance.

Which she never encountered as the blade went through the afterimage, shattering it instantly.

She began to recoil, but it was too late, and the tip of my umbrella found its mark and pierced through her armor and the secondary layer beneath.

She gasped and clutched at my umbrella, leaving herself completely open as I whirled around and planted my foot squarely in her midsection. I grinned in exultation as I felt the lack of the reinforcing layer that had absorbed all of my other strikes that had made it through her guard.

Just like that, she fell out of step, just like I had been deaf to the battle's song at the beginning of the match, so too now was she. Blow after blow connected from my umbrella, from my fist, from my foot, I even occasionally threw in a reckless headbutt. Gradually her movements were becoming slower and more sloppy.

Finally, with a battle cry, I slammed my umbrella past her guard, colliding solidly with her midsection. The Steel Flower went limp and fell to the ground, motionless.

The crowd exploded into cheers and I sank into a daze as the announcer came up to congratulate me, even as medical staff checked on my opponent, who was groggily getting up.

I turned as the announcer patted me on the back, asking me a question that I couldn't hear as my ears rang. I saw the man's eyes grow concerned as my vision flickered, "No really, I'm alright." I mumbled and then I fell to the ground.

* * *

I woke up to find myself in a white bed with incredibly comfy sheets, Rowan was sitting anxiously next to me and he sighed with relief as I sat up, "Geez, you scared me Neo."

I looked around the room, and frowned as I saw red and gold walls, with several silver drapes drawn across several windows.

I didn't recognize the garish design from anywhere I had been, seeing my confusion Rowan spoke, "We're in one of our new safehouses; Lusban has seen to the construction of several of these in key locations. This particular one is several klicks outside the stadium."

"You should fire Lusban; he's got a terrible sense of decor." I muttered.

Rowan looked wounded, "I designed the decor." He answered.

I snorted, "Then delegate the blame to him, that's how it works, doesn't it? I'm pretty sure that screwing up this badly should require capital punishment."

Rowan glared at me, "I'll have you know that these colors are very much in fashion." He replied stiffly.

"Maybe for people who are colorblind." I retorted.

Rowan was about to answer when the door opened and he shot to his feet, my eyes widened as Lusban, in his guise as Dudley, escorted in a tall woman with long, braided white hair.

"Madam Bianca." Rowan greeted her.

"Baron Laisren." She replied evenly, she turned to look at me and nodded to me gracefully, "You are indeed very capable. You fought beautifully."

I bowed my head, "The Steel Flower was a skillful opponent. Without her, I could never have done so."

I saw a strange light flicker across Madam Bianca's eyes and she seemed to hesitate slightly before she spoke, "I will inform her of your gracious words." She turned back to Rowan.

"As per our agreement, I shall contract you one of my fighters. I believe that the Thunder King will be most amenable to the arrangement after a performance like that."

I let out a gasp, The Thunder King was one of the most prominent fighters in all of Remnant, being one of five fighters in living memory to win a major championship in each of the continents. I had never dreamed of having a sparring partner so capable.

Even so, I bit my lip as I considered something.

Rowan did his best to hide his excitement, but I could tell from how his fingers drummed against his cane that he was quite enthused. "Very well, then have him arrive-"

"Rowan!" I blurted out.

He turned to me with a raised eyebrow, "Yes?"

"Err… Baron Laisren." I corrected as I glanced at Madam Bianca, and I saw a ghost of a smile on her face as I continued. "I would actually like to request The Steel Flower be my sparring partner."

Madam Bianca's face went completely blank and Rowan frowned as he considered, "Are you sure?" He asked me.

I nodded, "Absolutely."

He turned back to Madam Bianca, "Well? Is that agreeable to you?"

The woman's hesitation was pronounced as she gazed at me with her icy-blue eyes.

"I suppose so." She finally agreed.

"Terrific, as I was saying please have her-" Suddenly the scroll at his belt rang and he frowned deeply as he saw who it was from, "I apologize but I have to take this. Dudley, would you mind arranging the details with Madam Bianca?"

The elderly man bowed, "Of course, Baron Laisren, Madam Bianca?"

The woman bowed her head gracefully and the two left the room, closing the door shut behind them.

Rowan lifted the scroll and answered it, "What is it Sunil?" His eyes widened in shock and then narrowed, "I see… very well, thank you."

Rowan hung up and I could see from how tense his shoulders were that he was enraged.

"What is it?" I asked him.

He put the scroll back on his belt, "It appears," He said, "That we have just been robbed."

* * *

Neopolitan sighed in relief as she put down the pen, the voices were gone now. Rowan was right, the doctor man had been right, the good memories did help make the voices go away.

Suddenly, she scratched irritably at her neck, the medicine made her throat itch, and sometimes she could swear she could feel the massive scar that she knew should be there.

But there was nothing there, nothing but the flesh the doctors had grafted into place, Rowan had said that the medicine shouldn't make her throat itch, but it did. He always hated it when she scratched at her throat, it always made him upset. She knew he blamed himself for what had happened to her, had blamed himself as her lifeblood had spilled out of her and onto the floor.

Her scratching became frantic, she didn't understand it, he had brought her back from the abyss, how could he blame himself for her weakness?

She twitched violently as the scroll at her hip vibrated, she pulled it out and saw that the Cinder person had sent her a message.

"The Vytal Festival is beginning, your presence is required tomorrow at the enclosed coordinates."

Neopolitan hand ceased its scratching as she felt a surge of excitement course through her as she read and re-read the message. This meant that the plan was proceeding and she would see Rowan again soon. Vale would fall and then the Cinder person said that the Grimm would fight for them. They would be safe from the creatures and they would all go back to their base.

She scowled as she tucked her knees in, she knew that Cinder person was lying to Rowan. The Cinder person would probably turn the Grimm on the two of them when she had gotten what she had wanted, but Rowan already had a plan.

"The best way to use people is to make them think they're using you." He had told her, "We'll use them to make Vale pay for what they did, then we'll abscond with the airship and go to someplace warm and sunny, maybe Vacuo. Just the two of us, would you like that?"

Neopolitan tucked in her knees and scowled, she didn't know if she'd like going to Vacuo; it was all sandy and hot. All she wanted was for Rowan to be back; when Rowan got back, then the voices would stop, that way she wouldn't have to take the medicine that made her throat itch.

She bit her lip as she stared at the journal, after all, there weren't many more happy memories after that one… but there were a lot of bad ones.

 _Very_ bad ones.


	19. Chapter 19

**Thanks to** **TehGramerPolise for his help** **with this chapter**

* * *

Journal Entry 287

Now I'm sure this is the part that anyone who's reading this has been waiting for… how did I begin my life of crime? I mean sure I'll admit that my nose wasn't squeaky clean before, but just how did I go from slightly shady backroom deals to the glorious heists and plots that you might know me for?

Well, interestingly enough, it all began with getting something back that was rightfully mine.

* * *

The crowd roared as Neo brought down The Jade Golem in what seemed like an absolute cakewalk. I chuckled slightly as Neo gave a confident thumb's up in my direction, "I'm going to hazard a guess that was far harder than she made it look?"

"Very much so," Lusban replied beside me, "At full strength, there are probably only a handful of fighters in Solitas who could've made it look that easy."

"Hmmm… yet he's only ever been in the middle of the pack on the tournament scene?"

"From what I've been able to gather, Madam Bianca is grooming several like him who are going to participate in exhibition matches across Remnant. The first will occur in two weeks at Mistral."

I raised an eyebrow as I understood, "She's having her fighters sandbag..."

"Indeed, it would be quite a powerful statement if the middle-tier of Solitas begins going even with or even beating some of the best fighters of the other continents."

And so Solitas would shake its reputation of being the underdog of the tournament scene and would instead look like the strongest region; my mind spun with the possibilities. She could generate propaganda through such matches to draw eyes and money to the north and away from the other scenes. She could open up her own academy solely for those who wished to reach the level of those fighters. She would of course need famous patrons to endorse the school, people such as…

I grinned, "Brilliant." I murmured, she was more likely than not going to use our own arrangement; hence why Neo needed to be tested before she would agree to it in the first place.

I idly filed away Madam Bianca's schemes for later, it would be interesting to keep an eye on her operations. I made a mental note to consider investing some lien in the bets from those initial exhibition fights; no doubt the odds would be quite favorable until bookies learned better.

I watched the clean-up crews finish up their work and leave the arena. "The last semi-finals will be next, correct?" I asked Lusban.

He nodded, "That is correct, Baron Laisren."

"Go ahead and bring up the bracket, I want to see who she'll be facing." I commanded, my tone casual.

In truth, I was fully aware of at least one of the participants, and my stomach dropped slightly as I saw that name come up on the screen.

"The Steel Flower," Lusban paused slightly, "And The Grand Assassin."

The two of us stared at the two names on the display and then I shook my head, "Be honest with me Lusban… does she actually stand a chance against The Grand Assassin?"

Lusban mulled over it for a moment, then nodded, "She does have a chance," he said, "But it's slim; they're both fast, but he's on a whole other level in terms of pure speed. She's gonna have to use her jumps fast and on point."

He cleared his throat as we watched the two fighters walk onto the stage, both of our eyes riveted on the man in the long, hooded cloak. "She's going to have to make it a short fight, if she gets hit by either of those blades then he's never going to let her recover."

I drummed my fingers on the arm of the chair as I zoomed in on the two weapons in question, both were long daggers that were practically short swords, one was speckled with black spots that almost resembled splotches of black paint, whereas the other had lines of golden metal inlaid along its length.

"Where did he even get those things?" I asked Lusban.

The man shrugged, "Best as I can tell his father found a tomb of a Vacuan king predating the discovery of Dust. Apparently those were the weapons of the king's champion; not a speck of rust on them."

I shook my head, "How is it that we used to be able to craft weapons with abilities that match the power of Semblances and yet now-a-days everyone is just excited that they can transform into a gun?" I muttered.

Lusban chuckled a bit at that, and the announcer's voice boomed from the screen, "Now, for the last semi-final… he's one with the shadows… and yet every one of his strokes brings the fury of the sun! He prides himself on only having lost to the Thunder King, his longest match at just over twelve seconds… give it up for The Grand Assassin!"

The audience cheered and the fighter waved nonchalantly, a wide grin on his face.

"His opponent, she's been on the block, but she's never been able to even get to a quarterfinal before now! Will she be able to go all the way? It's The Steel Flower!"

I frowned as a tall fighter stepped forward, completely encased in light, sleek looking armor much like we had done with Neo.

"What do we have on her?" I asked Lusban.

Lusban shrugged, "Low tier fighter, from what we've seen of her other fights she's pretty fast, but nothing not much else of note."

The announcer lifted up on his platform and into the air as the two fighters squared off, "Fight!" He roared.

It happened so fast that I was left blinking stupidly long after the fight was over. I was vaguely aware of The Grand Assassin rushing forward, his blades moving so fast that they were a wave of continuous motion; then he was on the ground. The Steel Flower had somehow grabbed the front of his collar and was keeping him pinned while she repeatedly stomped and slashed at him.

The man flailed around desperately, trying to break free but within moments his Aura bar blinked red and then vanished. The Steel Flower kicked once more, sending the man flying to collide into the arena wall, where he fell into a crumpled heap.

The entire arena seemed to freeze and then the siren blared, belatedly calling the end of the match. "The Steel Flower is the winner!" The announcer called, "I don't about you folks, but I close my eyes for a second and in a shocking upset, The Steel Flower has defeated The Grand Assassin in an astonishing fight."

I stared in disbelief as The Steel Flower pivoted and walked off of the arena, clean up crews quickly began their work on the stone platform. Their movement seemed to free the audience from their silence and murmurs began spreading throughout the stadium.

"Well," Lusban murmured, " _That_ was certainly something."

I grabbed my scroll and rewound the fight, watching it over and over in slow motion. The Grand Assassin's blades still resembled a blur and I watched carefully as they punched into The Steel Flower's chest. I frowned as I saw something and then zoomed in, "Lusban," I snapped, "How exactly do those blades work?"

"The Twin Blades of the Sky: Sonne and Nacht." Lusban said, as though reciting something he had read, "They are in the shape of two long daggers, with a substance vaguely resembling Dust running along their lengths. Upon interacting with a person's Aura shell, they blind the opponent with either flashes of light from Sonne, or utter darkness from Nacht."

"So they need to interact with the person's Aura?" I asked him.

"They must either touch the shell or enter the person's body but yes, they then interact with the person's Aura."

I nodded, "Do we know The Steel Flower's semblance?" I asked him.

"She has the ability to generate steel around her person." He answered.

A thought struck me, "Is it possible she purposely deactivated her shell, and then simply called up steel around her chest, pulling her Aura out of it once it was done?"

Lusban's eyes widened, "Of course," He breathed, "It would had to have held for only a second; just long enough for her to see so that she could launch her counter attack."

"The Grand Assassin after all, prides himself on always keeping his fights short. It wasn't hard to guess that he was simply going to rush her down like he does everyone else. This wasn't her being strictly better than him, it was simply a mismatch." I concluded as the crews began to disperse.

"Well, that's actually a bit of a relief." Lusban commented, "From what we've seen, Neo is faster than her. So long as she keeps on her toes, she'll be able to beat her.'

My heart lifted at Lusban's observations and I watched as the announcer introduced the two fighters. Then it sank as I saw Neo's stance, gone was her previous bravado, instead, she seemed hesitant... scared.

I cursed silently, as the fight began and The Steel Flower immediately rushed forward and began overpowering her. Neo teleported away, and I despaired as she immediately dropped into a defensive stance. Her opponent paused for a moment, and then pressed in once more; eliciting yet another defensive teleport from Neo.

My hands tightened on the arms of the chair, Neo's confidence must have been completely shattered by how The Steel Flower had dismantled The Grand Assassin, I realized and cursed again. If she didn't take the offensive soon then she would lose this fight by default.

"C'mon Neo," I whispered.

My heart leapt into my throat as the Steel Flower pushed in and locked her blade with Neo's umbrella. She then kicked in with her foot, kicking at Neo's shin, sending her to her knees.

"What a move! What killer instinct!" The announcer crowed, the Steel Flower won't give an inch and this looks to be it folks! It's all Neon can do just to survive!"

Neo seemed to freeze for a second, and then she slipped in under the blade and disappeared, reappearing to stand on the far edge of the arena.

But something had changed.

The Steel Flower didn't appear to notice as she charged forward, intent on simply overbearing Neo once more. This time however, Neo's weapon moved with blinding speed and struck her chest, sending her reeling back.

The two faced each other for a moment, and then The Steel Flower saluted her, and Neo responded in kind; before the two of them engaged once more.

However, this was a far cry than the scared and hesitant Neo that had faced her before and their movements blurred together as the two fought. I could tell that Neo was faster, but each time her umbrella broke through her opponent's guard it only appeared to briefly stagger her opponent.

Suddenly Neo made to parry a blow, but then the scene shifted weirdly and I blinked in confusion as I saw that she had instead lunged and pierced straight through her opponent's armor.

"By the Five…" Lusban breathed behind me.

I didn't know what that strike had done, but from then on the fight became utterly one-sided; The Steel Flower's moves seemed slow, sloppy, and soon The Steel Flower lay on the ground at Neo's feet.

The next thing I knew I was on my feet, a cheer erupting from my lips as I thrust my fists in the air above my head. Then I froze as Neo slowly fell to the ground, completely still.

* * *

About an hour later, we were in a safe house near the arena and I watched Neo breath slowly in and out; her face peaceful.

"She's just exhausted her Aura." He had told me as he had put the safe house's medical diagnostic equipment away, "She should be up soon."

I had felt relief course through me as I heard those words, but managed to keep my voice steady, "Excellent, would you mind contacting Madam Bianca to complete our arrangement and bring her here?"

He had bowed, and then had left, closing the door gently behind him.

I hadn't moved from where I had sat next to the bed; unbidden, my mind went back to when I used to watch her sleep back in the mines; all of those years ago. When I had gotten up, despairing that my future held nothing more than the next hard day of work; I had looked at Neo's face and reassured myself, that at least she was there. Regardless of what the future held, she would be there right beside me.

Back then, seeing her had always engendered a feeling of protectiveness, eliciting a promise that I would protect her no matter what happened.

Now though, I had seen her fight an opponent whose movements were so fast I had barely been able to comprehend. Long gone were the days that she needed me to fight off a bully.

Moreover, as I looked at her face, so calm and peaceful, I was suddenly aware of just how beautiful she was; with her silky, multi-colored hair, and her smooth skin. That beauty to me however, transcended merely physical, she was smart, she was energetic…

She was, well… Neo.

I reached over with a smile and gently stroked her hair, "Neo, I-" Suddenly she stirred and I hastily pulled my hand back; suddenly embarrassed. I had almost composed myself when her eyes fluttered open and I sighed as those breath-taking mismatched eyes focussed on me and she sat up.

"Geez, you scared me Neo." I blurted out.

She looked around the room, and frowned.

"This is a Laisren safehouse, Lusban has seen to the construction of several of these in key locations." I continued, desperately trying to think of anything to say. "This particular one is several klicks outside the stadium."

"You should fire Lusban; he's got a terrible sense of decor." She muttered..

Despite myself, I felt slightly defensive, "I designed the decor." I said. That technically wasn't true, but I kept talking as I tried to re-order my thoughts; I had known Neo for years… why the hell was I so flustered all the sudden?

She snorted in reply; she even made that look cute I thought distractedly; then shook myself slightly as I focussed on what she was saying, "...I'm pretty sure that screwing up this badly should require capital punishment."

I did my best to glare at her, "I'll have you know that these colors are very much in fashion." I replied.

"Maybe for people who are colorblind." She answered.

I opened my mouth and racked my brain for a response when the door opened and I shot to my feet; strangely thankful for the interruption. Lusban entered the room, once more in the elderly form of Dudley, followed closely by...

"Madam Bianca." I greeted the tall woman as she strode into the room.

"Baron Laisren." She replied evenly, she turned to look at Neo, and she nodded approvingly, "You are indeed very capable. You fought beautifully."

Neo bowed her head demurely, "The Steel Flower was a skillful opponent. Without her, I could never have done so." She answered gracefully.

I noted that as Neo said that, Madam Bianca seemed to hesitate slightly and my eyes narrowed slightly. Was there even more to The Steel Flower? Were they not on the best terms? Why that reaction to what Neo had said?

"I will inform her of your gracious words." The woman finally said; there was a slight catch to those words as well, something that implied familiarity… could it be that The Steel Flower was one of the fighters she had been grooming so carefully?

Madam Bianca turned back to me and I kept my face carefully neutral, revealing nothing as she spoke.

"As per our agreement, I shall contract you one of my fighters. I believe that the Thunder King will be most amenable to the arrangement after a performance like that."

Neo let out a gasp, as well she should The Thunder King was certainly a capable fighter even before he had come to Solitas. The public acclaim I would garner in and of itself would be-

Then I saw Neo bite her lip out of the corner of my eye; I knew that look, she wanted to say something. I carefully watched her while I responded, "Very well, then have him arrive-" I began.

"Rowan!" Neo suddenly blurted out.

I turned to her with a raised eyebrow, "Yes?" I asked her.

"Err… Baron Laisren." She corrected and I saw her glance at Madam Bianca behind me. "I would actually like to request The Steel Flower be my sparring partner." She said, her face slightly flushed.

Interesting… behind me I felt Madam Bianca tense up and suddenly my gut told me that there was a coup in the making here. I didn't know what, or why, but somehow I knew that this arrangement would benefit Neo and myself greatly in the future.

I guess you could call it fate… if you believe in such things.

I made a show of mulling the request over, "Are you sure?" I asked Neo.

She nodded vigorously, "Absolutely."

I turned back to Madam Bianca and my conviction was only strengthened as I saw her carefully blank expression, "Well? Is that agreeable to you?" I asked her.

Madam Bianca stared at Neo for a long moment, her expression unreadable, "I suppose so."

I smiled slightly in elation, "Terrific, as I was saying please have her-"

Suddenly the scroll at my belt rang and I plucked it from my belt, and I frowned deeply as I saw that it was from Sunil. More importantly, it was from the priority line I had given him. "I apologize but I have to take this. Dudley, would you mind arranging the details with Madam Bianca?"

The elderly man bowed, "Of course, Baron Laisren, Madam Bianca?"

The woman bowed her head gracefully to me and the two left the room, closing the door shut behind them.

I answered the scroll, "What is it Sunil?" I asked.

"The Cradle has been compromised," He said, his voice terse, "The blueprints for the Orion project have been lifted and purged; and the prototype is heavily damaged. We're still looking for leads on who did it, but so far no luck, will update you if the situation changes."

My eyes widened in shock, "I see… very well, thank you." I hung up the scroll and seethed. The Cradle was the new codeword that Sunil and I had come up for the newly revitalized R&D department for Laisren Aerial Manufactory. Mostly we were starting out by taking a lot of old designs that my mother had created; but the technology required to build them had either been not economical or didn't exist at the time.

The Orion project in particular had been a marvel; it was essentially a transmission system that allowed a much higher efficiency for energy generated from Dust. Conservative estimates had put the fuel saved from the new system at around twenty percent above industry standards; at the time, they had just lacked a material that could withstand the strain that the system demanded. Fast forward to present day and we had such materials to spare, and so the department had been working on designing ways to most efficiently implement the system, as well as construct a working model.

Now apparently someone had gone in under my nose and destroyed all of that, what's worse, they had taken the blueprints as well. Patent laws in Solitas were simple, whoever had the completed product and released it first, got the patent. Corporate espionage was considered part and parcel of the economy, those that fell victim to it would just simply waste their time and money bringing it to court.

"What is it?" Neo asked from the bed.

I put the scroll back on my belt, "It appears," I said trying to keep my voice empty of my rapidly mounting fury, "That we have just been robbed."

Then the scroll rang again.

I snatched the scroll from my belt and answered it, "This is Baron Laisren."

"Hey kiddo it's me, Begonia Evengard, meet me in thirty minutes at the coordinates you'll find under the safe house welcome mat. Password is 'Game's afoot'. Ciao!" Then she hung up, leaving me to stare at the scroll.

"But this place doesn't have a welcome mat." I protested weakly.

I gave a small start as the device rang again, this time with Lusban's number. I answered it.

"Sir, potential security breach, somebody put a mat outside the door, did you-"

"No, but could you please check under it and tell me what you find?" I asked him. Neo began to speak but I held up my finger to cut her off.

Neo huffed and crossed her arms and I winced slightly, "Sorry." I mouthed but she simply glared at me.

"Sir, there's a piece of paper with coordinates on it…" I heard the man sniff, "Lilac perfume... did Begonia contact you?"

"She did, do you recognize the coordinates?" I asked him.

"I do," He paused for a moment, "I don't know if you'll like it."


	20. Chapter 20

**Shout-out to TehGramerPolise for helping with this chapter**

* * *

The coordinates that Begonia gave us led us to the Glade, the run-down slums of the city that were dominated primarily by Faunus. Conversations stopped and hostile eyes followed us as we walked down the cracked and littered sidewalks. However, whether it was due to the fact that we were all obviously armed or that Lusban had taken the guise of a wolf Faunus in order to blend in we were left unmolested as we headed towards the meeting place.

Finally Lusban turned down an alleyway and stopped, "Here we are," He gestured to a building at the end of the alley and I raised an eyebrow.

While most of the buildings in the Glade shared the same run-down look, with most of them being cobbled together with whatever materials could be afforded or scavenged; this particular building looked brand new and modern. The stone was smooth and covered with intricate murals and statues of various scenes; mostly with an animal motif. The large double doors were made out of fine wood and a single stained glass window dominated the space right above the entrance. I frowned as we approached and I could make out what it was depicting. It appeared to be five different orbs on a ring, all filled with a different color; one was a swirling red, another was a clear blue, yet another was a dark brown, a fourth was white, and lastly was a black so deep that I could have sworn it was a hole in the glass.

"The Five Rings," Lusban said, "It's a club owned by-"

"Kuroi Akita?" I guessed.

Lusban turned to me, "How did you know?"

I gestured to the stained glass, "Two reasons, one the Five Rings is a central component of Kensai philosophy, the idea that all living things possess a different balance of elements to make up the whole." I pointed towards the door, "The second tell, however, is that."

Right in front of the door, acting as bouncers, were two very familiar figures. Both towered well above the few Faunus waiting in line outside, their kabuki masks and nodachi blades unmistakeable.

Lusban stopped in his tracks, "Ichi and Ni," He whispered, "Those two are practically inseparable from Kuroi, he's probably here."

"Will that be a problem?" I asked him.

Lusban shook his head, "Shouldn't be, but the fact that he's in town and just so happens to be at the place where we're meeting our contact is a little high on coincidences for my taste."

Honestly I agreed with that sentiment, but in the end I didn't have much in the way of choices and I began walking towards the door.

A couple of the Faunus growled as I stepped up to the two large Faunus in front of the door, their kabuki masks fixed onto me expectantly, if they recognized me then neither of them gave any indication.

"Game's afoot." I said to them on a hunch.

"Hey human," One Faunus man growled as he set a heavy bear paw on my shoulder, "You can't just-"

That's when Neo reached over, grabbed the man's arm and threw him bodily into a wall, sending cracks running throughout the surface; he let out a small groan and then slumped forward, unconscious.

Ichi and Ni stared at the man's crumpled form for a moment, and then Ni let out a small gruff sound that I realized was a laugh, Ichi for her part reached behind her and opened the door wide and jerked her head to direct us inside.

I nodded politely and walked into the club, Neo, and Lusban close behind.

* * *

Just in case you're wondering, yes, The Five Rings I'm talking about is _that_ one. The legendary establishment that is more of a complex then a club, with each area being designed to cater to a different set of clientele. You want to dance and drink the night away with the common crowd? Then the Ring of Fire is for you; want to sample the finest dishes from all over Remnant, then perhaps the Ring of Earth. The Ring of Water is a spa for Atlas' most wealthy clients, while the Ring of Air brings the most talented performers of every kind of stagecraft and music. Of course, most aren't even aware of the fifth Ring, that of Void; where there are meeting rooms so secure that the 1 million lien reward for successfully providing proof of breaching them has yet to be collected.

Well back then it was a far more humble place, a place where the denizens of the Glade could unwind in relative luxury. Currently a jazz band was on the stage, a man with cat claws playing a large stringed instrument next to a man with a lizard tail on a horn, and a woman with bull horns on a piano, collectively they played a slow, smooth melody that wafted through the room.

I stood still for a moment and my eyes scanned the room, several Faunus of several varieties were sitting in several booths that circled the stage. There was a laugh and my gaze shot to a booth that was raised up above the others, flanked by twin stairs. Sitting there was Begonia facing across from a man in a sleek business suit that I realized in a bit of a shock was Kuroi, his appearance almost alien from when I had seen him in his crumpled kimono the first time I had met him. I began weaving past the booths towards the stairs, Lusban and Neo following behind me.

When we reached the stairs we were confronted by a bulky man dressed completely in lamellar armor, a massive helmet with horns covering his face. He tapped a giant tetsubo on his shoulder menacingly as he faced us; which seemed to attract Kuroi's attention.

"Hana! Stop that! If the band wanted a drummer they'd ask for one!" He made a show of looking at his watch and then leaned across the table to pat Begonia's hand, "It's been so fun chatting dear, but fireflies that stay for too long start a flame." He stood up and walked down the steps.

As he stepped down onto the floor he smiled widely at me. "Hey, hey, hey! Look who the duck dragged in!" He jabbed me lightly on the shoulder, "How's the rich and fancy life treating you, hmm?"

Before I could form a response, he put a hand on my shoulder and continued, "I for one, have always measured my wealth in the amount of shoes I can buy... and you?" He laughed, "You can buy enough shoes to shoe an _army_ of millipedes!"

He chuckled for a moment, then leaned in close and whispered urgently, "Please don't though, all of those stamping feet would make a ruckus."

"I'll uh… try my best." I managed to say.

The man pouted, "Well, I suppose that's all any of us can do." He patted me once on the back and turned to Hana, "Well c'mon, let's make like a bee and buzz off already."

The large man grunted and began trudging forward and Kuroi gave me a friendly wave, "Take care, Rowan!"

I waved after him uncertainly and then shook my head as I made my way up the stairs to where Begonia Evengard was sitting. She waved nonchalantly, "Heya again kiddo, have a seat."

I sat down in the booth across from her while Neo and Lusban stood guard, "You certainly do have interesting connections." I commented.

She grinned, "Isn't he a hoot? I swear the man thinks in nothing but bizarre metaphors."

"Indeed," I agreed, while in the back of my mind I wondered if that counted as a form of mental illness, "I'm sorry to be blunt but I have to cut to the chase… why-"

"Someone's broken into one of your top R&D facilities and made off with something called Project Orion." She said rapidly, "I know who did it, as well as where it's being held."

I leaned forward, "Well?"

"Payment." She said and instantly her pen and notepad appeared in her hands.

I sighed, "Fine, what is it this time?"

"I know that you're going to try and get those plans back." She said, "When you do, I want you to tell me how you did it so I can write an exposé on it."

I raised an eyebrow, "Won't that make it obvious that you know a little too much? Whoever did this must be fairly powerful."

Begonia rolled her eyes, "Puh-lease kiddo, do you realize just how many 'troublesome' stories I've broken?" She looked from side to side and then leaned in, "The Headmaster of Beacon, Ozpin tried to capture me for five years." She confided to me, "We finally called a truce, but trust me, if that man couldn't get me, no one can."

"Why was he trying to capture you?" I asked her, perplexed.

She grinned, "Sorry, part of the truce, let's just say that some fairy tales have a little more truth in them than most people believe."

I leaned back as I considered her terms, "And you would write it in such a way that it wouldn't be obvious that I was behind it?" I asked her.

She looked insulted, "Do I look like an amateur? Look kiddo, I'll just write up something about theories that 'experts' have put forward and a couple of them will be just close enough to the truth; good enough?"

I mulled it over, "I get to proof-read it before it goes out." I told her.

She chewed on her lip then nodded sharply, "Deal," Then she dropped the bombshell, "It was the Rashin."

I grimaced. To be honest, the Rashin should have been close to the top of my list of suspects. After all, the massive servers and machinery that powered the Cross Continental Transmit System would require a lot of energy; a more efficient Dust to power ratio would drastically cut their operating costs. In addition, one of the biggest problems with designing effective robots had always been power consumption. With the technology from Project Orion, their ability to slim down on their designs would drastically improve; which in turn would result in less need for power consumption as the weight reduced.

Long story short, it would earn the Rashin millions, if not billions of lien; and I would have lost out on at least as much.

All of this coalesced in my mind in seconds, and I watched as Begonia reached beside her and pulled out a briefcase that she laid on the table.

"In this briefcase," She tapped on it with one long fingernail, "Are the blueprints to the vault, including most of the security systems."

I arched an eyebrow, "Just like that?"

"Just like that." Begonia responded.

I pulled the briefcase across the table and opened it to find three scrolls, I picked up one at random and turned it on. I let out a slow whistle as schematics of the building appeared on the screen.

"With this kind of information, I should be able to get those plans back in no time."

The Faunus woman grinned wickedly, then pulled out a scroll, tapped a button, the spun it around to face me, and I watched with a frown as it began displaying footage of a tall man behind a podium.

"-And it is my distinct pleasure, to announce that the Rashin shall be unveiling ground-breaking technology in just a week's time that will revolutionize the robotics industry forever." The man declared.

"That was Storm Rashin, head of R&D of the Rashin family's Robotics Division, ." Begonia explained as she closed the video, "It was taken earlier today."

My heart sank as the implications of what she was saying dawned upon me.

"'In no time' you said?" Begonia asked as she stood up, "I hope you're right kiddo, because time is something I highly suspect you don't have."

* * *

Neo still hadn't fully recovered from the fight, so she slept while Lusban and I began sifting through the copious amounts of data that Begonia had given us.

"The whole building is locked up tight," Lusban groused as he looked over the plans, "There are at least twenty different checkpoints along the way to the vault itself, which of course is located in the dead-center of the facility."

The older man shook his head, "The walls of the building itself are threaded with sensors, if you breach anywhere then they'll know instantly. If we wanted to be able to infiltrate, I'd give it about seven weeks before we got everything we'd need; that includes bribes and all of the forms of identifications we'd need to acquire."

The man pointed at the vault, situated in the center of the building off by itself, "Then there's this." He growled, "A key only a Rashin could open, millions of volts of electricity coursing over a metal box that contains the data vault itself."

He bowed his head apologetically, "I'm sorry sir, but I'm afraid it just can't be done; not in the amount of time we have."

I examined the plans, there was an insane scheme that I had been mulling over even as soon as I had seen the layout of the building, but I still wasn't sure if I could voice it aloud.

"So it's impossible?" I asked him.

He let out a sigh, "I know that tone," Lusban said, "It's the one your father always used whenever he had an idea."

"What if you only had to acquire the main hack for the data vault itself?" I asked him.

Lusban frowned, "Theoretically it should prove simple, due to the surrounding electrical field the system can't be too complicated. Knowing the Rashin they likely wouldn't have bothered with anything too complex as they would be the only ones who would be actually able to enter the vault."

"Excellent, get that done and I'll handle the rest." I answered and wheeled around to leave the safehouse.

"If you don't mind my asking Baron Lasiren; just why is it that I only have to be concerned about the main vault?" Lusban asked.

I told him, and he shook his head in amazement, "I had never really believed that insanity could be inherited until now; that's exactly the kind of plan your father would have concocted." He scratched his chin as he turned his gaze to Neo's sleeping form.

"She can probably do it," He allowed, "The question will be whether she'll be confident enough to do it."

"I believe I have a solution for that as well." I answered calmly.

"Hmm…" He eyed me for a moment, then sighed, "I'm not gonna like it will I?"

I grinned, "No," I answered, "You won't."

* * *

When Neo woke up she immediately raised an eyebrow, "I know that look." She said, "You came up with something then?"

I explained my plan to her and she shook her head, "I don't know if I can do it." She said bluntly.

"We can set up a practice area for you beforehand; we do know the dimensions after all." I assured her.

She bit her lip, "That's not really the issue." She sat up, "Just how many people am I going to be bringing with me?"

"Normally we'd need two in addition to you, someone who's familiar with the project and so will be able to make sure we're getting the real thing. Then another person to hack into the database itself, however, Lusban is contracting Hoku to program an AI that will take care of that."

Neo cocked her head to the side, "You mean that Faunus that Cola paid to _almost_ kill us."

I nodded, "Same guy yeah."

"Huh, small world. So I just have to bring one other person?"

"Yeah, just the expert who'll identify the plans and hopefully even take care of anything that the Rashin have constructed out of them."

Neo sighed, "Well, at least Sunil isn't very big, that'll make it easier. When does he get here?"

I grinned and a look of understanding slowly dawned on Neo's face, "No. No way. You are _not_ going in there, it's way too dangerous."

I snorted, "C'mon, it's like… at most the fifth most dangerous thing we've done."

She put her hands on her hips, "The mine, the robots, and the Festival, what the hell is the fourth?"

I scratched the back of my neck in thought, "I mean, there was the other time that a sniper took a shot at-" Suddenly I stopped and as Neo stared at me I realized that I had never told her about what I had overheard between Bayard and Cola. "I mean, uh-"

"You're talking about the train station, aren't you?" Neo asked.

I nodded, "I overheard Bayard and Cola after it happened. That bullet that we found in his arm… the darker one that was intact, that was a sniper rifle round."

She let out a slow breath and looked down at her knees, "I had wondered about that." She said, "Looking back I thought it was strange in the way that Cola was injured and the way he threw himself on top of us rather than standing in between us and the White Fang." She glanced up at me, "Why didn't you tell me about this?"

I grimaced at the hurt in her words, "I didn't mean to keep it from you." I told her, "It's just that everything was happening so quickly and I just never got around to it." I let out a snort, "In a weird way it just didn't seem very important."

Neo chuckled at that, "I guess at some point people shooting at you has to get kind of blasé." She gave me a look and sighed, "And now you want me to bring you right into another place where people will be shooting at you."

"I mean, if we do it right, there won't be any shooting, we just get in, get out and we're good."

She looked at me for a moment, then got out of the bed, "Alright, I'll bring you, but on one condition." She gave me a determined look, "In between jumping sessions you're sparring with me; and I won't be holding back like usual."

I grimaced as I could practically feel the bruises forming already, "Deal." I told her.


	21. Chapter 21

**Thanks to TehGramerPolise for helping with this chapter.**

* * *

So I know what you're probably thinking, I had on my side one of the most well connected and dangerous men in all of Solitas in Cola Malaika. So why hadn't I contacted him for assistance rather than go through with my hare-brained scheme?

On the surface I thought back to how Cola had revealed that the Rashin regularly tapped the communications networks used by scrolls. Obviously I would be under intense scrutiny, and no doubt any call made between me and my benefactor would be closely monitored.

In truth however, I could probably have bypassed those concerns, it might've been tight in the one week time window I had, but it could have been done.

So why hadn't I?

To be honest, there was a part of me that felt it was personal, which of course, it was. Everything was somewhat personal with the Rashin. Even within their own family tests of might or guile were constant; those found wanting would be scorned and ostracized. Therefore, I wanted to personally go in there and take back what was rightfully mine right from under their noses.

Afterwards, I found the allure of personally executing a brilliant plan intoxicating, and as you well know, I would extend such operations to things that _weren't_ technically rightfully mine.

Somehow though, I've found that's always made it all the more titillating...

* * *

The scene, as I imagine it, goes a little something like this…

It's a cloudy night, the sounds typical of a city that never sleeps echo in the air. Standing alone, like a fortress, is a tall, metal tower; no windows, and one door that is guarded by at least six elite mercenaries at any given time. Cameras silently maintain a constant vigil as well, enveloping the entire premises in a square kilometer around the facility.

This was Fulsom Tower; the building containing the main data vault of the Rashin family.

It was impregnable; no one had managed to break into it at the time and escape to tell the tale.

And yet, if on that night you had just so happened to look up at just the right moment, you might have seen history being made. As the underbelly of an airship flashed for an instant underneath the cloud cover, and two miniscule figures dropped from the sky; hurtling towards the roof of the tower far below.

* * *

"Why did I let you talk me into this?" Neo screamed at me as we hurtled downward.

"I am a very persuasive individual." I answered back, my eyes fixed on the digital readout on my wrist. "Remember, at 100 meters out, just like we practiced."

Neo bit her lip and closed her eyes in concentration while I continued to read off altitudes, "3000 meters… 2000 meters…" When we hit 800 meters, a change came over Neo and she let out a long, slow breath.

Despite myself, I couldn't help but watch in growing trepidation at the unforgiving metal surface that was getting uncomfortably close. "400… 300…"

Neo's eyes continued to stay shut as we plummeted toward the tower, "250...200…150…" Neo didn't react and I saw my life flash before my eyes.

"One hundre-" I began to say when suddenly the familiar feeling of displacement washed over me and I hit the Dust mixture that we had prepared beforehand.

Reality popped into existence and I saw a brief flash of a brightly lit hallway when we phased out again. My stomach lurched as the Dust's effect kicked in, simultaneously reversing gravity and generating a steady pulse of kinetic force, designed to gradually halt our momentum. We popped briefly into a room filled with criss-crossing wires and metal plates before Neo jumped again.

After all, it wouldn't do for Neo to perform the ten jumps required to get into the vault, only for us to splat against the floor once we got there… the secondary effect was that the after-images that we were leaving behind would be shattered as we went. The vault itself had no cameras, as the electrical field that surrounded it made any such system unfeasible.

Of course, that left the cameras that we would be briefly flashing in and out of existence for; but we had taken precautions for that as well. I would like to think that I looked as fabulous in my… "professional" outfit back then as I do now, but masks have never really looked good on me, including the elegant half-mask I wore then. Neo always has gloated that she suffers from no such ailment. I have tried to remedy it with every kind of color and hair style; but I have always suspected that it has something to do with the eyes and shape of the face. Perhaps if I-

Oh right… back to the heist.

* * *

After flashing into existence for the final time, we softly landed on a matte black floor in a dimly lit room; computer banks hummed all around us as they processed mountains of data.

Neo almost immediately collapsed, and I swiftly caught her to lower her down gently to the floor, "That was incredible." I told her.

She flipped me off as she gasped for air, "Don't… **ever** … make me… do that… again."

I grinned, "No promises." I answered lightly, I leaned her up against one of the computers. "Rest for now, I'll go find those plans."

She nodded and I stood up, pulling out the scroll that Hoku had designed for the mission "Now let's hope this works," I muttered and slapped down on one of the computer banks.

For a moment, nothing happened, then suddenly the screen on the scroll flickered to life, displaying a hissing weasel: Hoku's calling card. The animal disappeared, and the screen began to flash red.

I tapped my finger against the computer bank anxiously; there wasn't much I could do to hurry it along as the AI on the scroll began sifting through the database.

The scroll beeped and the screen flashed green, a large list of file names appeared on the screen… too many to get through quickly.

I tapped on the scroll and had it ignore files that were too small to be what I was looking for, the scroll beeped and the number of files dropped substantially. Next I filtered the results by the type of files contained; considering the amount of time that the Rashin had had with the plans, it was unlikely they would have bothered changing them from what they originally were after the decryption.

The scroll beeped again and this time the files were reduced to four, and amongst them… "Orion1… really?" I muttered and opened the file. My eyes moved rapidly as I went through the plans contained within… sure enough it was them. I tapped on the scroll and ordered the AI to download the plans and then remove it from the database. I then examined the other three files.

King Tiger…Artemis… Monochrome.

Curious, I opened them one by one. King Tiger was only of passing interest, appearing to be nothing more than a prototype of a battle-staff that would allow the wielder to carry a supply of electricity. I quickly made some adjustments; just some things that would cause some headaches for the fabrication team, then closed the file.

At the plans contained within the Artemis file however, my eyes widened slightly. They were of androids, more to the point due to their specifications, they were bipedal robotic soldiers. So this is what they were going to do with the improved power supply; but who were they designing them for? Themselves?

I scanned through the document and then my eyebrows lifted slightly at a letter contained within. Apparently these designs had been commissioned by some members of the Atlesian military… interesting.

These I downloaded, and then scrubbed the whole thing from the system; that would set them back a few years at least.

Then I opened the final file and I frowned… the others had been blueprints, plans to a design of a mechanical nature. This almost seemed like a report from a biological study, full of cellular data and tables of chemicals.

Curiouser and curiouser… even more so, unlike the other files, there was a good portion of it that was encrypted; had they stolen these as well and hadn't cracked them yet? Or were Rashin keeping secrets from other Rashin?

On a whim, I downloaded these as well and then deleted them; regardless of the story behind them, there was no sense in making it easy for the Rashin to diversify their portfolio to biological studies as well as mechanical.

All that done, I quickly tapped onto the scroll and prepared the next phase of the plan. We would be setting off a security breach, which would trigger the blast doors closing all around the facility. At that point, motion sensors would activate all around the building; however, the AI Hoku had given us would create a ghost trail in one direction while we went in the other, jumping through the walls until we had escaped the facility and reached the getaway vehicle parked a couple of blocks away. However, that ghost trail would only distract them for so long, Hoku had given us maybe a minute or so until the security system purged the virus and the gig was up.

I turned from the computer bank and walked up to Neo, who cracked her neck as she stood up. "We all set then?" She asked me.

"That's up to you, it's gonna be another twelve jumps… you sure you're up for it?"

She looked around and scratched her chin, "Yeah, as comfortable as this place is, I think I'd prefer not to stay the night."

I grinned and prepared the virus for upload as Neo walked over to the wall and oriented herself for our escape.

The scroll beeped and asked for confirmation, I looked up and Neo gave me a determined nod. I took a deep breath, and uploaded the virus.

I snatched the scroll and sprinted over to Neo, who grabbed onto me even as the alarms began to blare.

There was a feeling of displacement and we found ourselves back in a well-lit hallway, heavy steel doors slamming shut along its length. Before I could even blink we were already jumping again as Neo moved us along our escape route.

It was around the ninth jump that she started panting heavily, her brow covered with sweat as she gathered herself for the next jump.

"C'mon Neo." I whispered to her, "You can do this."

She grit her teeth and we jumped again, then again… we were now outside the tower, facing one of the high security walls… just one more jump…

But that's exactly when Neo's eyes lost their focus and she collapsed, slumping against my shoulder. "Neo." I called, "Neo!"

Her eyes cleared briefly and she began to say something when her eyes shut and she fainted.

I cursed and looked behind me nervously; just in time to see a man in light battle armor several meters away do a double take and then begin to pull out his radio.

Before he could do so, I leveled Melodic Cudgel and fired a single Fire Dust round that knocked him off his feet, sending him unmoving to the ground.

That had bought us some time, but the noise would bring attention.

I turned back to the wall and nodded as I went to plan B…

I loaded up a whole satchel of Fire Dust into Melodic Cudgel, at least quadruple the normal load, carried Neo back behind a decorative stone statue of a Beowolf a few paces away, aimed the weapon at the wall and pulled the trigger.

The recoil sent my arm flying backward, nearly wrenching it out of its socket as a huge blast launched from Melodic Cudgel and slammed into the wall, sending chunks flying.

Before the dust had even cleared I was already moving, half-dragging the semi-conscious Neo along with me. I went a hundred meters before taking a turn down a side street, a black car sat parked on the curb; our get-away vehicle.

I opened the door and threw Neo inside before leaping in myself, slamming the door behind me. I started the vehicle and then slammed down on the gas pedal, flying down the street and onto the main thoroughfare right as two security vehicles flew past me.

I wrenched hard on the wheel, the tires squealing as I went down the other way. The two vehicles screeched to a stop, and then gave chase.

I ground my teeth as I drove like a madman, cars honked and screeching as I flew around them, followed closely by the two security vans.

Beside me, Neo began to stir, "Rowan… I'm… I'm sorry… I was…" My heart wrenched as out of the corner of my eye I saw tears begin to streak down her face.

I threw her a devil-may-care grin, "Ah c'mon, what kind of heist would this be if there wasn't a high speed chase?"

Even as I said that, in my head I was doing a set of rapid calculations. We weren't that far from the rendezvous point, if we could reach there, then Lusban would be there, along with a couple of mercenaries. We could then easily deal with the pursuing forces, then make a clean escap-

Right as I was thinking this, turning down into an abandoned parking lot, a third security van slammed into the car, sending it out of control and towards a wall.

Of all the times to not being wearing a seat belt, I thought as I prepared myself for impact.

However, instead of the awful crash I had been bracing for, I felt a feeling of displacement and found myself skidding a few paces along the ground, Neo clutching tightly to my waist.

A few meters away, there was a tremendous crash as the car slammed into the stone wall, metal screeching as the frame buckled under the force of the collision.

Neo and I rose unsteadily to our feet, back to back as men with rifles began to pile out of the vans to surround us.

"Surrender immediately and you will be spared." One of them called out.

In response I flipped him off and they opened fire.

But by then, Neo was already moving. First, her parasol deflected the incoming fire, and in the single moment she lowered it, I answered with a shot from Melodic Cudgel, sending several of them flying.

Neo then grabbed my arm and we jumped, appearing amongst several of the men.

Neo sometimes has talked about the dance of a fight to me, about how there's a rhythm to it all. Sadly, one of my very few faults (outside of looking somewhat unfashionable in masks) is that I cannot feel this rhythm of which she speaks… at least, not alone.

But when Neo and I fight together, that changes; it's like catching a single snippet of a vast and glorious song, so tantalizingly close, and yet so far.

Mere snippet or not though, I have never felt as invincible as when Neo and I fight as one.

It wasn't even a contest, soon, all of the men were down on the ground, dead or unconscious.

For a moment, Neo and I stood there, panting slightly, almost in disbelief at the ease at which we had dispatched so many armed guards.

Finally, I turned to her and jerked a thumb toward the extraction point, "C'mon, we should get going before reinforcements arrive."

She nodded and we began to walk forward, when I saw flash of movement out of the corner of my eye. I began to shout a warning, but before I could, there was a tremendous blow to my cheek and I flew threw the air to slide along the ground.

I heard Neo cry out, but it was cut short and despite my body's protests I forced myself to stand, only to have someone wrap an enormous arm around my neck, putting me in a chokehold.

"Don't… move." A ponderously deep voice commanded, the mysterious man turned me around to see Neo and my heart sank to see two massive blades stopped a mere hair's breadth from her neck, the message was clear, cause trouble, and she would die.

Then I let out a gasp as my gaze moved down the naked steel and I recognized the two wielders of those giant blades.

The sound of a slow clap echoed from out of my vision, "I have to say; when it comes to jiving you two are the cat's meow!"

There was a giggle and Kuroi Akita slid into view. He did a dance move that wouldn't have looked out of place on a dance floor decades ago; then he walked up to me and leaned forward until his face was only a few centimeters from mine. "Now," He said, "What do you say we have a little chat… hmm?"


	22. Chapter 22

**Thanks to TehGramerPolise for helping with this chapter.**

* * *

So there I was, one moment I had been elated, looking at getting away with a plan that had nearly gone disastrously wrong. Now, I was being held captive by a man who I suspected had rats in the attic.

Life has a funny way of coming at you fast.

I quickly took in the situation at hand. Neo was currently being held at swordpoint, she might be able to use her Semblance to get out, but she was already exhausted. Not to mention that we had no idea what Semblances that Kuroi and his underlings had at their disposal. In addition, I was currently being held in a chokehold, and I had no doubt that even if Neo managed to break free, my neck would be snapped shortly afterward.

All things considered, I didn't have many options.

"What do you want?" I asked Kuroi.

He seemed to give that some thought, "Well now, that's a question… I think right now I would love some ice cream… or maybe some Fugu… Hana!" He barked at the man holding me, "Do they make Fugu ice cream?"

"No." He replied flatly.

"Bother," Kuroi turned his attention back to me, "Anyway, I guess instead, I would like to know whether or not you got those plans back from the Rashin."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." I answered quickly.

"He's lying." Hana rumbled.

Kuroi rolled his eyes, "Of course he's lying you gargantuan grumbling grounder! Unless…" His hand darted out and removed the mask I was wearing, and he squinted slightly to see past the makeup before nodding to himself.

"Good, it's Cola's red-haired tike." He reached out and ruffled my hair, "You had me worried for a second; I thought for a moment I might have to off you."

At that moment, one of the semi-conscious Rashin security guards rolled onto his side and Kuroi's gaze snapped in their direction, "Hold that thought."

He walked toward the man and gave him a sharp kick, the guard groaned slightly and Kuroi made a harsh clucking sound with his tongue. "Sloppy… were you really going to leave this many witnesses alive?"

Kuroi reached down and grabbed the hilt of the blade he wore at his side and the metal rang as he slowly drew it. It was a katana in make, but it was made out of a black metal so dark that it almost seemed to suck in the light around it.

With a quick twist of his wrist, he reversed it and stabbed down, the security guard coughed once, spraying blood, then went still. Kuroi then systematically walked around to every last one of them, and if they were still alive, finished them off with a single, brutal stab of his blade.

"You see," He explained in an even tone as he made his gruesome circuit, "In Mantle there is a rule of thumb to go by, living men tell tales, dead men tell no tales," Having killed the last security guard, he sheathed the blade, which I noted with a shiver, was completely clean of blood, despite the task in which it had just been used.

Kuroi reached into his suit and pulled out a scroll, into which he quickly tapped a code. "But men dealt with by the Cleaners, there was never a tale to tell."

He turned his attention to the scroll as a figure that I couldn't quite make out appeared on it, "Kijani, I need a team for say…" His gaze wandered around the carnage, "Around 2,000 kilograms organic, and then three vans and a car, compact, here are the coordinates."

There was a fast and high-pitched jabber from the scroll and Kuroi nodded, "Thank you kindly." He closed the call and pocketed the scroll before walking back over toward me, "They cost an arm and a leg, but it's my treat this time. Now about those plans."

While Kuroi had been preoccupied, several of the pieces had started clicking in my mind, "You're the one who gave Begonia all of that intelligence, aren't you?"

Kuroi smiled, "Oohhh, so you think you've got enough of the letters to solve the hangman's word have you?" He leered at me, "You know what they say about giving enough rope to hang yourself with; play jump rope instead."

I wasn't sure whether that was just one of his playful idioms or an actual threat, but I continued on anyway, "You knew that she would give me that information, would give me the blueprints to the Fulsom Vault."

Kuroi smiled, "More than that, I also gave her the information on who had stolen the plans in the first place."

"How did you know that the Rashin-"

"Because I was the one who stole it for them." Kuroi responded happily.

"Why then did you-" At that point, at a signal from Kuroi, Hana tightened his grip slightly and I choked to a halt.

"Look, Mister Little Red, it's past my bedtime, and this is going to go a lot faster if you let me start from the beginning." I gasped for breath as the large man relaxed his grip from my throat and Kuroi scratched his chin. "So this all begins with a skimping by man in charge of the R&D computers; not completely replacing the hardware like he had been ordered; he instead decided to replace just _most_ of it. This allowed my little rats to scurry in and grab the cheese."

"That would've been…" My eyes narrowed, Mr. Vandergelder had been in charge of that, looks like Begonia was going to get her vacancy on the board after all.

"I don't particularly care who it was, my advice though, kick that shmuck to the curb. Anyways, I grab the cheese and deliver it to the big king mouse, and get some of the cheese myself." He shrugged, "Normally, that's where this all ends, you got screwed, and I got some green. Here's the catch though…" He leaned in, "I don't particularly like the big king mouse; he's big, fat, ugly, and has not been acting like a particularly good leader of the other mice."

He spread his hands, "You see, the Rashin were supposed to be the frontrunners for the Faunus in Mantle. To reach the top and then pull the rest of them up from the dirt. Myself, the citizenry, and even the White Fang themselves all supported them in one way or another to ensure their rise."

He shrugged, "In reality, once they got to the top, they saw no reason to do so, at least, when there's nothing in it for them personally. In fact, they've been more oppressive than any human." He nodded to me, "That's where you come in; the Laisren in the past have been very meritocratic, there's a lot of fond memories of your mother in particular from the Faunus community."

My eyes narrowed, "You need a sponsor," I murmured, "Just like every crime lord in the city, you want to partner up with a wealthy and powerful family, so you went to the Rashin first." He smiled widely and I continued, "But you don't particularly approve of them, so you want to partner up with me… this was a test."

He clapped slowly, "And you got a perfect score, if you're a good boy, I'll take you out to ice cream later." His face darkened for an instant, "But not Fugu-flavored apparently." He muttered.

"But why?" I asked him, "Why do you care so much about the Faunus?"

Kuroi didn't say anything, but instead reached down to his feet and took off his shoes and my eyes widened. In place of normal human feet, the man had two black, furry paws, his ankles weirdly bent to rest lightly upon the pads.

"Ah…" I responded.

"I'll leave you to think it over for a while," Kuroi said as he put the shoes back on. He snapped his fingers and the arms around me withdrew, letting me free. I turned my head to see Neo similarly released as the two nodachi blades returned to their sheaths.

Kuroi waved at me flippantly, "You know where to find me." He turned to leave, but then suddenly seemed to remember something, "Oh yeah, by the way, it might seem like a good idea to just have this all disappear without a trace, but that leaves fingers pointing. It would be a better idea to have some cut-outs to bring to the light show; talk with Begonia, she's an expert at that sort of thing. Ciao!"

He turned and the four of them disappeared into the shadows of an adjacent alleyway.

Neo was by my side almost immediately, "I'm so sorry, I never saw them coming, are you alright?"

She blinked in shock as I let out a whoop, "Better than alright, Neo." I told her. "We pulled it off, and this is it, I'm hitting the big leagues."

And I wasn't wrong; we reached the rendezvous point with Lusban without any further incidents and flew back to a safe house in Atlas. The next day, I met with Bianca at a bar and explained to her what Kuroi had said. By that time, an official statement had been released from the Rashin, claiming there was a malfunction.

Several hours later however, another story broke, and it spread like wildfire; it had been a heist. Someone had broken into the Fulsom Vault and had escaped into the night.

Thus the legend of Roman Torchwick was born.

* * *

"Are you absolutely certain?" I asked Neo for probably the hundredth time.

Neo rolled her eyes, "Yes, gods the other two outfits are hideous."

I raised an eyebrow, "Nonsense, they are currently at the height of fashion."

"Yes, and being forced to look at you in them is bringing me to the height of nausea."

I sighed as I adjusted the collar on the suit I was wearing, "My eternal curse, I look too fabulous in fashions that went out of style a decade ago." I bemoaned.

"'Fabulous' is certainly a word for it."

"Perhaps, 'fantastic'? 'Amazing'? 'Stupendous'?"

Neo grinned a little bit and walked up to stand beside me, "I'd settle on… 'prosaic'."

I gave her an overly dramatic, wounded look, which also gave me an excuse to stare at her for a moment. Neo, as always, was absolutely stunning, wearing a simple, yet elegant light pink dress that accentuated her figure perfectly. A set of diamond earrings dangled from her ears and a pearl necklace shone smoothly around her neck to add just the right touch of light and richness.

Finally wrenching my gaze off of her, I turned back to the mirror and let out a slow, deep breath.

"You ready?" Neo asked, her former jocular tone gone.

I gave her a confident grin, "Let's make this a night to remember." I told her and together, we walked out the doors.

* * *

It was my first party that I had ever held and I had transformed the entire Laisren estate into a sparkling paradise. I had decided that the mansion itself was far too utilitarian in design for such an event; and so had decided to use the estate's ample and well kept grounds in order to host it.

The guests were all sat around tables on a series of terraces that I had ordered constructed for the occasion using the manufactory's facilities. Below the terraces sat a large square dance surface, and to the side of that were the Laisren estate's lovely rose gardens. Overlooking all of this was a hovering platform, on which sat a band playing classical music that was delightful to the ear.

Despite being the middle of winter, the weather was perfect, and not a speck of snow was on the ground. Which was due to the two highly technologically advanced Laisren Weather Modulators that we had just recently patented. Whereas past modules would have required at least eight such devices to cover such a large area, these new designs had been improved upon due to the power capacitors from Project Orion. Such a device would be installed on our new luxury Orion Mark I airships, the prototype for the model, _The Excartes_ hovered majestically overhead.

The naming for the model was, of course, a dig at the Rashin, one which they would never be able to publicly protest, only silently seeth at. In other words, the best kind of dig.

My entrance to the party was grand, yet tasteful. I was announced by Lusban as I stepped down onto the highest terrace via a hovering ramp. From there it was systematic meet and greet. I moved through the party, Neo a constant presence at my side.

"Baron Laisren," A voice called and I turned to see two familiar faces.

"Mister Fitzroy, Mister Drummond." I nodded slightly to each of them in term, while they both bowed deeply, "It is good to see you could make it."

Rudas Fitzroy grinned, "Are you kidding? After how exciting the banquet was? I wouldn't miss it for the world. It was an honor to be invited to attend, Baron."

Bailus Drummond for his part merely nodded stiffly. Upon researching more about Rudas Fitzroy, I had made the discovery that he was indeed quite savvy. His father had given him several thousand lien to invest as he would; as was apparently the tradition in the family. The young man had promptly made several prudent investments in various companies, and now owned a banking institution outright. I had thus decided that such a rising young man might make a valuable ally in the future.

On the downside, he and Bailus were apparently attached at the hip. Therefore, if I wished to make friends with Rudas, I would apparently have to bear Bailus. So I gave a winning smile and clapped him on the shoulder; causing him to blink slightly in surprise, "Well then, please enjoy yourselves, though I hope that this party will be slightly less… exciting, than the last one."

Bailus' face went red and he muttered something unintelligible, it was then that I realized that I might have been misreading the young man. What I had initially taken for deep-set arrogance was a facade, as I watched the boy's eyes flick away from mine. It hit me: the man was simply shy. I filed that away for later; an arrogant ally was almost as bad as an enemy, strip that away and perhaps there was something salvageable in this young man.

Rudas bowed quickly, "There was one more thing, Baron Laisren, I had been wondering if perhaps I could speak with you sometime regarding a business opportunity that has arisen in Atlas."

I made a show of mulling it over and then nodded, "Very well, come to the mansion in four days time at 1400 hours and we'll talk it over."

Rudas bowed again, "My thanks, Baron."

We made some more small talk, and then I moved on, eventually coming across yet two more familiar faces.

The two bowed deeply, "Well, well, I must say Baron Laisren," Menek Rashin said as he straightened to gaze around at the decorations that lined the grounds, "This is quite the extravagant display."

"You honor me, Mister Rashin." I replied.

"As you honored us greatly with the invitation." Jocasta Rashin noted.

From what my sources had gathered, I had done far more for the twins than honor them. Apparently the faction within the Rashin that had been behind stealing the plans from me had been counter to the twins own faction. The consequent shake up from the loss of face after the heist had elevated the twins to being within a hair's breadth of sitting upon the Rashin Council of Nine; the ruling body of the family. Or rather, a neck's breadth, one particular Seance Rashin, who was currently sixty-three, and whom I would be shocked if he lived to see his sixty-fourth birthday.

I smiled, "Of course, after all, how else would we find the time to decide upon our next challenge?"

Menek and Jocasta's eyes both glittered and they turned to each other.

"Of course," Menek answered.

"Perhaps a game of strategy and finesse..." Jocasta murmured.

"Tiao-Qi." Menek finished.

I raised an eyebrow, Tiao-Qi was a Mistralian game that could be played with as little as two, and as many as eight players; played on a star shaped board that resembled chess in its rules. It was considered the mark of a refined nobleman in Mantle to be able to play an excellent game of Tiao-Qi.

I nodded, "Wonderful, say at my mansion at noon in three days time?"

"That would work for us." Jocasta replied.

"It's a date; until then, please enjoy yourselves."

The two bowed again and Neo and I moved further on into the party, making small talk as we went.

Suddenly an arm wrapped itself around my shoulder and pulled me close, "Hello, Mister Little Red." A voice enthused.

"Nice to see you too Kuroi." I answered.

The eccentric crime lord and I had met a couple days after the heist and had hashed out an agreement of sorts. Essentially, I would help fund several of Kuroi's ventures and provide more legitimate outlets to cover his own legally questionable practices. For his end of the bargain, he provided me a cut of some of the take, allowed me access to otherwise… difficult… to acquire merchandise, and acted as muscle, currently mostly augmenting the security of my facilities.

It also meant that I had truly entered the game. After all, powerful Merchant Nobility or not, if you didn't have a crime lord partner, you weren't really a player in Solitas.

Kuroi grinned widely as he guided me to a table off to the side, "I have someone that I wanted you to meet."

Sat at the table were Ichi and Ni, both of which bowed slightly to me as I approached, the third figure however, merely gazed at me with poorly disguised disdain.

She was a Faunus woman, black ears sprouted from her head, swiveling constantly, as though on the alert for an attack at any moment. On her forehead was a red jewel that shined softly with reflected light; she looked past me and gave Neo an appraising look before turning her haughty gaze back to me.

"This lovely woman," Kuroi stated, gesturing grandly, "Is Sienna Khan, a rising star within the White Fang, and a personal acquaintance of mine."

"Pleased to meet you." I told her evenly.

"You'll forgive me if I don't return the sentiment, human." She replied.

Kuroi let out a huff, "Sienna, you promised me you'd behave." He admonished.

Sienna bared her teeth slightly, "The fact that I haven't slaughtered any of these humans where they stand is good behavior enough." She answered, "Almost all of them have perpetrated innumerable crimes against us."

I raised an eyebrow, "Yet here I stand before you, having committed none of these crimes, and indeed having punished one who has sinned grievously against the Faunus, while uplifting a Faunus in his stead." I was speaking of the recently fired Moccasin Vandergelder; formerly head of the Technology Department. Which of course, coincided with several files taken from his computer mysteriously finding their way into Begonia's hands.

The story contained within those files had swept through Solitas, and indeed, all of Remnant, like wildfire. A cold-hearted murder of seventeen innocent Faunus men, women, and their children; Laisren Aerial Manufactory had not only cooperated, they had revealed the entire group of corrupt lawmen that had originally allowed Mr. Vendergelder to get away with the deed in the first place.

That particular touch had been provided by my uncle. I had been hoping instead to paint the situation as a clean out of all of the corruption and the immoral cesspit that had been created under my uncle's reign. Yet, once again, I had been thwarted by one of my uncle's flashes of brilliance.

Truth be told however, I hadn't fought that very hard, the disgrace of my uncle would have been a handsome bonus, but I had won enough by both clearing out a dangerously incompetent employee and gaining the goodwill of the Faunus.

Or at least, most of the Faunus apparently.

Sienna looked unimpressed by my words, but inclined her head slightly, "What you say is true." She turned to Kuroi, "Very well, I have met the human, may I leave now?"

Kuroi pouted slightly, but waved her off, "You may go little tiger, go chase some yarn."

Sienna's hand twitched slightly, and for a moment, I thought she would attack the man who was currently giving her a casual smile. Then suddenly, I felt a chill sweep through the air, and I felt more than saw an edge creep into Kuroi's expression. A feeling of sheer, primal instinct coursed through my body, telling me to flee, to hide from some great, unseen predator.

Sienna must have felt it too, because suddenly her face paled slightly and she bowed stiffly. "By your leave then, Kuroi, Baron Laisren." She stood up and swiftly walked away, disappearing into the crowd.

Kuroi let out a chuckle and the air returned to normal and I let out a long, slow breath that I had been unaware I had been holding.

The man clapped me on the shoulder, "She's a fierce little thing, no? I tell you Mr. Little Red, she'll be running the White Fang soon enough." He winked at me slyly, "Just call it a hunch, the ones currently in charge, the Belladonas, were the ones who came up with the plan to elevate the Rashin in the first place. I'm far from alone in feeling like that was a foolhardy waste of resources and political capital."

He leaned over and grabbed a piece of shrimp that Sienna had left on her plate and popped it in his mouth. "Mmm," He groaned blissfully, "It's so rare to find good seafood in Solitas, I must admit, it reminds me of home." He swallowed and patted his stomach, "Delightful, ciao for now Mr. Little Red." Despite his informal tone, he gave me a slight bow, "Ichi, Ni," He barked, "Let's skedaddle."

I watched them thoughtfully as they left, "That woman is dangerous." Neo said softly, "But Kuroi… I never knew that he had such a presence… his Aura…" She shook her head in wonder, "I've simply never felt anything like it." She said simply.

"All the better that he's on our side." I replied and turned back to the party.


	23. Chapter 23

**Thanks to TehGramerPolise for helping with this chapter.**

* * *

The party continued to be fairly cut and dry for the next hour or so. Neo and I made our way through, chatting with the partygoers. For the most part, they were fairly minor players; to send an invitation to one of the Electors or their ilk at this point would only to have been to invite the minor embarrassment of them declining. After all, the Laisren had only recently lost the Electorship, all the while the family had slowly been losing allies and the stock had been slowly dropping for some time beforehand. The loss of that position had still coincided with many allies leaving for greener pastures.

Thus, while in time, I fully intended to begin throwing more lavish parties, where I would begin courting the more powerful players of the Merchant and High Nobility. For now however, this party mostly consisted of those that were beginning to emerge onto the scene, with the objective of beginning to form my own power base of those that hadn't yet fully grown into their own.

That isn't to say that we had lost everyone, and now I was currently speaking with one such individual that I had recently been able to convince to re-invest into the company. A certain member of the Merchant Nobility named Midas Iverson.

Midas Iverson was a minor celebrity at the time; he had originally been a gambler from Vacuo, moving across Remnant. He had won a series of high-stakes games, earning himself a minor fortune. He had then moved to Atlas and had turned from cards to stocks and investing in capital ventures.

"Baron Laisren." He greeted me, the golden rings covering his hands flashing as he offered an outstretched hand.

"Baron Iverson." I answered as we clasped hands briefly.

"Wonderful little party." He told me as he gestured at the splendor surrounding us, "The floating band is a nice touch."

"Thank you." I responded with a nod, "Have you made a decision regarding my offer?"

He smiled slightly, "It was a tempting offer, but I'm afraid I must decline." He answered lightly.

I cocked my head slightly, "I see." I said evenly, but internally my mind was racing. Midas Iverson's position in the Atlas stock market could be likened to that of a litmus test. If he was invested in it, it had been given the okay. In his hands, he held thousands of potential investors, and was personally connected to many others, if he was onboard, they were on board. His refusal meant hundreds of thousands of lien and as much political capital were being denied to me.

Even as I considered all of this, the man beckoned slightly and inwardly I sighed, the Laisren stock was rising, but far slower than it should be, considering the improvements that had been made and the profits we were making this quarter.

Now, as I complied, leaning closer to hear his words, I believed I knew just why that had been.

"I have a capital venture that is… going more poorly than I'd like." He told me. "It's a mining operation in the mountains, and currently, the Grimm are being rather active in the area. Therefore, I need escorts, at least six military-grade frigates."

My eyes narrowed slightly, what he was asking for was technically legal. However, if he were to go through the usual channels it would take months of red tape, and by then he would have lost that much in revenue. I did some quick mental calculations and then nodded, "I can have that to you in three weeks for a ten percent reduction in dividend from the… special… stock options that were discussed. For two weeks, a thirty percent reduction."

Midas tapped his chin with a single, ring covered finger as he considered what I had said, then he nodded sharply, "It's two weeks then, I'll contact you later on the details, pleased that we could do business, Baron Laisren."

I smiled, "My pleasure, Baron Iverson." We stood up, shook hands again, and then parted ways.

"Even that man's breathing is slimy." Neo remarked quietly as we walked away.

"That might be true." I admitted, "But I kind of like him, he's my kind of slimy."

"Just be sure to wash your hands later." She said, then she tapped me on the shoulder, "There's Camille." She said.

I followed her gaze to see the silver-haired young woman chatting idly with a man and a woman, Camille's gaze wandered and caught onto us, she then bowed slightly, and said something to which the other two bowed. She then walked towards us, a smile on her face.

"By Grimm and flame, those two are an absolute bore." She huffed, "I never know why I actually bother to speak with them. Anyways, how have you two been doing?"

Her informal tone took me off-guard, "Well enough, I suppose." I answered.

"That's good to hear," She rotated her shoulder with a grimace, "I'm still recovering from that beating you gave me."

I frowned, "Excuse me?"

"Not you." She nodded to Neo, "Her, you think I would have been ready after what she did to Aster, but it looks like you've improved even since then."

Neo frowned, "I have no idea what you're-" Then something dawned upon her and her eyes widened, "Wait…"

Camille threw up her hands, "Finally someone gets it, granted we kind of parted immediately after the bout but really."

Then it hit me, "You're The Steel Flower?" I asked her.

She grinned, "The one and only." She responded, "I'm looking forward to sparring with you." She told Neo.

"Likewise." Neo answered enthusiastically, "How you parried that mid-cut and turned it into a high-swing? I've never seen anything like it."

Camille shook her head, "And how you countered that with the slide-away followed with a mid-thrust? Inspired!"

I blinked owlishly, turning from one to the other as they both continued to gush about the other's fighting styles; listing move and countermove like other women might mention shoe or dress designs.

Thus it was that it wasn't until I heard someone clear their throat politely, but insistently behind me that I noticed the tall, familiar figure that was standing to the side. Instantly I turned and bowed my head slightly, "Ah, Madam Bianca, so good of you to come." I greeted smoothly.

The woman returned the bow, "I was honored by your invitation; it truly is a splendid party." She then turned to Camille, "Come, there are some people that I wish for you to meet, by your leave Baron?"

I nodded, "Of course."

Camille nodded, "As you will it… mother." She smiled widely at my astonished expression and followed Madam Bianca into the crowd, disappearing from sight.

After several more seconds of astonished silence, Neo finally spoke, "Well… I can definitely see the resemblance."

I shook my head, finally understanding some of the reactions that I had seen from Madam Bianca when we had been making the sparring partner arrangement. "I suppose so." I agreed.

I was about to say something else when Neo nudged me slightly and nodded, her face suddenly grim. I frowned as I looked over to see Sange Rouge walking up to me.

"Ah, Sange," I called, "So good of you to make it, enjoying the party thus far?"

He smiled, "Indeed I am… and that enjoyment is likely to be heightened severely."

I raised an eyebrow, something in his tone sent shivers down my spine, but I kept face my pleasant, "Oh? How so?" That's when I saw the very agitated… and nervous looking, young man standing behind him, and knew immediately what he was going to say even before he opened his mouth.

"I have been… challenged… to a duel," He replied, "It is to be Atlesian Last Stand, and I wish to ask for your permission and mediation."

* * *

I have to say, after being one of the participants in a duel; or at least, one of the parties involved, simply hosting one was much less stressful. The challenger in this instance was one Perry Moriarty, a House of the High Nobility that was once one of the foremost military families until they helped lead the disastrous Vacuan campaign during the Great War.

To facilitate the duel, I had the guests all step off of the dance floor, and had servants bring out portable generators that I had held ready for just such an occasion to provide the walls. It was incredibly energy intensive and expensive as hell, but the ooo's and ahhh's that came from the crowd as the transparent walls of energy deployed made it worth it.

Neo would act as the overseer for the duel, as I didn't really have anyone officially for that capacity. She helped each of the duelists put on the equipment, and already the difference was clear in the experience between the two of them. Sange slipped into the gear like a man might his robes or a jacket, while Perry awkwardly fumbled all the while; Neo practically had to put it on for him.

Finally though, both duelists were equipped and ready. Perry pulled out a longsword and shield, typical armaments that were unremarkable save for their high quality.

Sange though, made even drawing out his weapons a spectacle. He reached to his back and pulled out two long metal rods; he twirled them around and the two began to transform. Soon, he was holding two wicked looking double-sided voulges; despite the unwieldy and heavy looking weapons, he twirled them around like they were mere batons.

There were plenty of murmurs as those gathered watched the display of martial prowess, Sange saluted them and then faced his opponent.

The duel lasted mere minutes, and that was only because Sange toyed with his opponent the entire way. It finally ended when Sange beat both his opponent's sword and shield out of his hands and sent his blade screaming towards his throat.

I blinked as there was a flash of movement and there Neo was, the ringing of steel pierced the air and the crowd let out a gasp. For a moment the tableau stood picture still, Neo's umbrella having neatly intercepted the blade a hairsbreadth from Perry Moriarty's neck.

Neo lifted up a hand, "The victor: Sange Rouge!" She yelled, before swiftly withdrawing her blade; Sange doing so at the same moment. I waved to my servants to shut off the walls; and they complied, the energy walls collapsing instantly. Sange bowed to Neo and then Perry Moriarty, who merely nodded as he lay gasping on the ground. He then swiftly spun around and marched out of the arena, and out of sight.

It was only then that the applause gradually began; and the mood was easy to read. While everyone present was impressed by the level of skill they had seen; the Rouges, being a somewhat… controversial… house, no one wanted to make their praise seem like support of any kind.

I was however, intrigued to see just who it was that came to help Perry Moriarty up to his feet. Normally the nobility wouldn't want to necessarily associate themselves openly with the losers of such a duel; not unless they were a close ally.

Apparently however, the military had no such compunctions.

Two young men in military uniforms lent their shoulders to him, retrieving his weapons and help him limp back into the crowd. I frowned as Neo walked up to me, she was trying to keep a composed expression, but I could tell something was wrong from the tightness around her eyes.

"You okay." I whispered as she reached me.

"I think my hand's broken." She replied.

My eyes widened, "How in the world.."

"I didn't have enough time to fully strengthen my Aura shell, but irregardless he's strong… and fast too…" She leaned in closer as she grabbed a fork and napkin from a passing table and discreetly used them as a makeshift splint, "One more thing, he deliberately checked that last attack, almost like he was daring me to block it. He was testing me."

I looked up to see several more older men in military uniforms making their way to me, "You're sure?" I asked her.

"Positive."

"Hmm…" I put on a polite, smiling mask for the military men as they reached me, "Gentlemen! So good of you to come!"

The reached me, with General Briars, a man with a giant, graying walrus mustache and of great appetites at their head. He was the current head of the Army of Mantle; he extended his hand and we shook.

He was also a buffoon, when the legislature passed that allowed non-nobility to join the military, it had created a rift within the High Nobility in particular. They had eventually split off the military into two groups, The Mantle Guard, which was a military group comprised of only the nobility, and the Army of Mantle, which comprised everyone else. This had meant an entire new military hierarchy had to be constructed from the ground up; that meant that political animals had smelled fresh meat and had come scrambling. The general idea being that one could rise up through the ranks of the Army of Mantle in order to attain enough wealth and prestige to become Merchant Nobility.

General Briars was one such opportunist, and he had been put into his position by rich and powerful men and women of the nobility, not by his own merit. Despite his flaws however, he liked big ships and big guns, and so constituted the majority of Laisren Manufactory's more lucrative contracts.

So I smiled as cordially as possible while he began blathering, spit flying every which way, "Well I do say! That was quite enthralling, that Rouge boy sure knows his stuff doesn't he? So sorry for the poor show… quite against my orders, you understand, but the boy insisted; some personal grudge. You know how boys are."

I nodded, "Of course General, is your man alright?"

"Oh of course, worst thing hurt will be his pride; so sorry about the whole trouble. That Rouge boy is quite the demon though, with those weapons of his. You know, those blade thingies."

"Voulges sir," One of the men who had been carrying Perry Moriarty appeared at the General's shoulder, "They are called voulges."

"I don't care if they are called weed whackers Lieutenant! They are quite unconventional… unorthodox even! Who would carry such things out into battle I ask you? No one!"

"You are quite right General." I said smoothly.

Suddenly the Lieutenant spoke, "Baron Laisren, you have a mad dog in your midst." I turned my gaze to the man and he continued, "Sange Rouge has committed the most vile of crimes; his brutality leaving basic decency by the wayside."

I raised an eyebrow, "That seems like the kind of talk that got your friend in a duel with him in the first place." I remarked.

The Lieutenant heard the subtle warning in my words, his lips tightening, and already my respect for him was greater than that of his commanding officer, "Research the Iris case, see if what I tell you isn't true." He simply said, then he spun around and walked back into the crowd.

General Briars sputtered and spat for a few moments, "Lieutenant!" He finally managed, but the Lieutenant had already disappeared into the crowd. The older man shook his head, "I do apologize for Lieutenant Ironwood's behavior, Baron Laisren." He said, "He has a most impeccable military record, but fear not, he shall be censured regardless."

"Right." I answered, "See that he does." I then turned on my heel and walked off, the Iris case hmm? The Lieutenant truly did enjoy walking on dangerous ground.

And to this day, he still does; he's wonderfully predictable like that.

As for Sange Rouge… while I admired his martial prowess and still believed that he could be invaluable in pursuing Serroi Vertimos; he had hurt Neo. He would have to answer for that, but how to do that and still retain his usefulness? As he was next in line for the Rouge Electorship, anything I did would have to be subtle; so as not to allow any rival to emerge. Perhaps a small heist on one of their vaults? Then put some of the goods up on an open auction, that might have just the right touch I was looking for.

Such were my thoughts I moved through the crowd, my mind full of whirling schemes.

* * *

At the end of the party I made a toast, which although I enjoy making them, I also often don't bother remembering them for the very reasons I find them so titillating.

Toasts, as they are, are completely meaningless. They are like so many things done in a political process. Everyone knows roughly what will be said, they are only so many pretty, empty words that flow from our lips, like a poem of sweet nothings.

But damn if I'm not a master poet.

No doubt I thanked everyone for coming, said something about the rise of the Laisren, and hoping that all of them would join in the glory of Solitas.

Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

Instead of boring you with all of that, I will instead move on to probably the most important part of the evening; because that night, after the party had ended and everyone had left, I received a call.

A call from one Cola Malaika.

"Hello, Cola." I said enthusiastically as I answered.

The ebony toned man smiled widely as he saw me, "Greetings Rowan, so sorry I couldn't come to the party tonight."

I shrugged, "You didn't miss much."

"Hmm… I heard that you managed to persuade Kuroi to your side from the Rashin."

I grinned, "You know I can't confirm or deny that."

He chuckled, "The Rashin are indeed a sinking ship." He steepled his fingers, "I have now gained enough capital that I too will be… renegotiating our relationship. Akuma Rashin was the one who had my respect, ever since his death, the rest of the family have squabbling over the carcass of the company. Now the meat upon which they have been feasting is finally rotting."

I blinked in surprise at his words, it was true that since Akuma Rashin's death several years ago the family had fractured; hence why they were ruled by a council of nine members of the family. However I had no clue it was as bad as he was suggesting. Cola gave me a look, "And the sudden scrapping of a certain project the Rashin had declared would be unveiled hasn't helped matters either."

I merely smiled and Cola gave a sharp huff of laughter.

"Anyway," He said, "I have called to give you a little present, consider it an apology for failing to attend the party."

He lifted his eyes to stare directly into mine, and each of his words fell like a hammer, "Serroi Vertimos has made a crucial error," He said, "A data chip that I was able to capture revealed much of his operations. Be ready for my call within the next few weeks; it is almost time for war."

He smiled at my stunned expression, "Good night Rowan, please give Neopolitan my regards."

Then he hung up, leaving me standing there, a turmoil of emotions raging through me.

"Ugh." Neo said as she stepped into the room, back in her usual clothes, "I know that stuff looks good on me, but it's so breezy I just-"

She frowned as she saw my expression, "Rowan… are you alright?"

"I'm better than alright," I finally answered, "In fact, I would say that I'm fantastic."


	24. Chapter 24

**Thanks to TehGramerPolise for helping with this chapter.**

* * *

Journal Entry 289

Anyone who happens to be reading this, you might very well be shocked, "'What? You knew General Ironwood?'" Of course I did; everyone knew him, or at least of him. It was almost impossible not to; the man rose rapidly through the ranks. He went from Lieutenant, to Captain, to Major, all within a span of a couple of months. This wouldn't necessarily be so shocking if he had someone backing him politically. But he was a nobody. He just was so damn competent at what he did and performed so many heroic acts that it would have been egregious _not_ to promote him. Whether it was boldly swooping in to save a group of village militia from being slaughtered by Ursas or killing a Greater Nevermore single-handedly by colliding into it with an airship (Yes, that story is true.) It was the perfect narrative for the general staff of the Army of Mantle, their golden boy. A commoner made a hero.

So why hadn't he recognized me immediately upon my imprisonment? Don't be too hard on him, we hardly ever met face to face, and besides, he… along with many in Solitas, believed I was dead.

Long story, but I'm getting around to it.

* * *

I felt a single drop of sweat trickle down the back of my neck. I glanced aside at Neo to see her face drawn up tight in concentration. I reached down, hesitated, then reached down again, my fingers closing on the smooth surface of the wood statuette in the shape of a horse.

I then moved it forward, ruthlessly cutting off our opponent's line of retreat. Across the table the Rashin twins eyes narrowed as one as they re-evaluated the board.

Tiao-Qi with more than two players became a game of strategy and reading your allies just as much as your opponents. Under traditional rules, none of the players may address their teammates, but may only speak with their opponents.

"So I must ask, Baron Laisren," Jocasta Rashin said as she ruthlessly moved a piece shaped like a tower a few spaces forward, threatening one of my pieces; "What do you think of the whispers of another seat for the Electorship?"

I shrugged as Neo made her move, protecting me from the threat posed by Jocasta's tower, "I heard them, but mostly disregarded them; after all, there is little to gain for the High Nobility in allowing another Merchant Nobility Electorship status." Adding the tidbit that wasn't necessarily common knowledge, that supposedly the new Electorship slot would be for the Merchant Nobility.

Privately, that wasn't the only reason that I scoffed at the rumors. After all, if another slot was added it would violate the basic tenet in having an odd number to prevent ties. There was no way that the High Nobility would be so daft as to allow _two_ new seats to be added.

Menek Rashin's eyes glinted as he smiled, "Indeed, but that doesn't matter because the Army of Mantle are the ones pushing for it, and they want an Electorship seat as well."

I smiled slightly and nodded, as though I had heard as much; but in truth, my mind was swirling as I digested the information. More importantly to me however; I knew that the Army of Mantle didn't have the political clout to make such a power move. They shouldn't be able to even bring it to a vote; after all, that was rather the point of the High Nobility Electors outnumbering the Merchant Nobility Electors in the first place: to prevent such grabs for power.

I would have to instruct Lusban to examine this new angle; if this motion went through, then it would be yet another power move that would eat at the control of the High Nobility. As of yet I had not been able to find the mysterious faction that I was convinced was behind such moves over the past few years. But if one accounted for such a thing existing, then their trail was plain to see, even if their end objective was not.

I could tell that the Rashin twins were a tad disappointed at my lack of reaction, and the game continued several more turns in silence before finally as one they leaned back from the board.

"We… concede." Menek Rashin said.

"An excellent game." Jocasta Rashin added.

"Indeed." I remarked lightly; the four of us all bowed to each other.

"The same time next week?" Menek asked as we stood up and they put on their coats to leave.

I bowed my head slightly, "I'm afraid that I might be preoccupied in the near future. I will contact you when I know when I am next available."

Menek nodded, "Of course, thank you once more for your hospitality, Baron Laisren."

"Of course." I replied politely.

I watched as they left and Neo began to put the pieces away, "You jackass," She said as she did so, "What were you thinking? Moving your pawns so aggressively like that?"

"Only because I knew you would cover that right side." I answered as I stretched with a slight groan.

She snorted, "Just because I guard you in real life doesn't mean I have take the bullet in board games too." She finished putting up the board and the two of us began walking down the hall.

"Now, now, your valiant forces were vital to the cause." I responded with mock solemnity.

She raised an eyebrow as we began navigating the hallways of the mansion, "The cause of you embarrassing the Rashin twins yet further?"

"Exactly," I answered, "It's like a slot-machine, every time I pay the low, low price of taking them down a notch, I get to see if they'll tell me anything new in order to recover their feeling of superiority."

Neo glanced at me, "So that wasn't all just so much political goobly-gook?"

I grinned, Neo had very little patience for politics, trusting me to handle such matters as I trusted her with those related to fighting. "Indeed not, but it's nothing to worry about for now. How's your hand?"

Neo winced slightly as she opened and closed the hand that Sange had injured at the party, "Not quite 100%. I'm also technically not supposed to do anything strenuous for a couple more days."

"Hmmm." We reached the end of the hallway and I began going through the process of unlocking the secret room, "Luckily for you, our task tonight is not at all strenuous."

"Oh? Is breaking into the vault of an High Nobility Elector really so easy?"

I smiled as the strange glyph appeared on the wall and I began swiping my fingers across it, causing it to spin, "Indeed, many tasks are much easier once I'm involved." I raised an eyebrow towards her inquisitively, "Unless of course you'd prefer not to come?"

Neo socked me lightly on the shoulder, "Not in your dreams, this is my payback as much as yours."

I rubbed my shoulder as I finished spinning the glyph so that it formed the shattered moon with three lines across it; Lusban had been rather impressed with how quickly I had picked that up. "It took me three months before your mother learned that." He had told me, "It was only after I told her to think of it like a blueprint that she finally picked it up."

I grinned slightly at the tale of the anecdote as the wall slid away to reveal the set of stairs leading down to the room that I had taken to calling 'Torchwick HQ'. Which I had stuck with, despite Neo's constant attempts to find something better,

"Torchwick Central."

"No."

"The Underbelly."

"Ugh, no way."

"The Heist Cave!"

"Hmm…."

"Maybe?"

"No."

All the while this went on, we began equipping ourselves for the task ahead. Compared to the heist we had pulled off against the Rashin, this was going to be child's play. The vault was a regular one, it's only true defense being the fact that its very existence was kept secret. A little bit of digging from Lusban however, and we had found it: courtesy of a rather careless member of the family that had gone to deposit some artwork from an auction into the vault. In doing so, he hadn't realized that a painting had been bugged; a lovely Varanito, _Knights of the Western Field_ (If memory serves it currently rests in the Schnee Gallery at the Atlesian Museum of Art. If you get the chance check it out. Fantastic line work, stunning colors; I almost felt guilty having Lusban defile it in such a way).

The vault itself was inside a bank, Platinum Wealth Management Services, and was located in the basement, door number 678.

Finally, I clipped on my mask and carefully adjusted it before examining myself in the mirror: perfect. I turned to Neo, who looked as dangerous and beautiful as ever, "Ready?" I asked her.

"Let's do this." She responded and as one, we ascended the stairs.

* * *

"So, something's been bothering me." Neo admitted.

"What's that?" I asked her as I carefully began carefully working through the security measures on the door to the basement vaults. All told it was comprised of a keypad, an ocular scan, a voice lock, and a key card. The first we had bought off a disgruntled janitor, the second and third we had acquired via a hacked scroll of one of the executives of the bank, and the last had been forged after temporarily borrowing a real one from the same executive.

"What that Ironwood guy at the party said, about the Iris case."

"Hmmm?" I answered her as I entered in the ocular and voice keys.

She glanced at me, "I haven't seen that mentioned in any of the files you gave me, and yet you knew what he was talking about, I could tell by your eyes."

I paused what I was doing, I recognized that tone, there was no putting this off until later. "Are you sure you want to know?" I asked her.

She eyed the two unconscious guards at her feet, "I've got nothing better to do."

I sighed, "Alright, so it all starts with a girl, Iris Armstrong, daughter to a brand new member of the Merchant Nobility. Quite the looker and, despite being Faunus, she had a lot of admirers."

"One of them being that Moriarty kid?" She asked.

"Sure was," I replied, "So anyway, Iris loved the attention and started playing all of her suitors off one another."

"As they do." Neo interjected.

"As they do." I agreed, "The issue was that sadly at the end of the day she was a Faunus girl from a very minor Merchant Nobility family. She was playing way out of her league; in any case, she was last seen at a party. When she didn't come back home that night, her father got worried and started asking around. There was no trace of her at all: it was like she had just up and disappeared."

Neo frowned, "So, wait. How did Sange get involved? Was he one of the suitors and got played?"

"Worse, presumably in order to gain the favor with one of the High Nobility, she made a scene of it. Embarrassed him in front of a whole crowd of people."

Neo crossed her arms, "Well there's the motive, how was his alibi?"

"Tight enough," I responded, "The thing was, several weeks later, a servant girl showed up at the Rouge residence under Sange's employ that was her spitting image… minus a tongue."

Neo winced, "Yikes, so how'd that play out?"

"Well, the White Fang and other Faunus Rights groups got involved. In the end though, they made a couple of legal mistakes, absolute boondoggles, that allowed Sange advanced warning that the police were coming for a blood sample to confirm her identity."

Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Neo shiver as she began to see where this was going, "You sure you want me to finish?" I asked her quietly.

She took a deep breath, "Might as well." She let out.

"They arrived at the Rouge residence to find that the servant had gone missing. Soon enough there's a search. They ended up finding what they thought was her body, but it was mangled beyond any kind of recognition. The most disturbing part was that the autopsy revealed that the cause of death was blood loss. She had been strung up and her throat slit, almost all of her blood had been drained out her body before she finally died."

Neo was quiet, the silence hung heavy over us as I slid the keycard, unlocking the door. It swung open smoothly, and the two of us stood there for a moment.

"I can see why you didn't tell me about that." She finally said, "Do you-" She paused and bit her lip. "Do you think he really did it?"

There was a long pause, "Yes." I said simply.

"Dust and bones Rowan, you think he's capable of something like that and you still want to play these kind of games with him?"

I turned to her, gesturing to her hand, "He hurt you, Neo." I told her, "I can't simply let that pass."

She shook her head, "Isn't the point of this whole thing is that he'll never know? What's there to gain from all of this?"

I walked up to her and put my hands on her shoulders, "I've already thought of everything; don't worry. He'll be embarrassed, but it'll never come back to us. I promise."

I could see that Neo wasn't entirely convinced, but she nodded, "Alright, let's just get this over with."

* * *

Roman stopped writing, staring at the words he had just written. Slowly he shook his head, "Out of all the promises that I wish I could have kept." He muttered. For a while, his entire body hung limp, and then finally, once he had stilled his shaking hands, he continued…

* * *

The cameras within the vault itself had already been taken care of courtesy of another program bought off of Hoku. So we slipped into the main room and I sauntered along the lines of vault doors before finally arriving at our destination, "678." I murmured as I arrived at the door. I had deemed that this part of the operation should be a little more… noisy. While the door to the basement vaults was generic enough, the doors to the vaults themselves had actual physical keys, as well as DNA locks.

I had decided that acquiring such items would be far riskier, and would let the Rouge family know that they had been deliberately targeted. So instead, Neo and I pulled out several charges, placing them on several of the doors; 256, 356, 479, and 789, in addition to our primary target of 678.

There was a reasoning to the madness, although perhaps a little bit obscure. You see, it was a happy coincidence that in the standard copy of The Tale of the Four Knights in print at the time. Page 678 was the start of a tale about Torchwick, the namesake for my criminal alter-ego. The tale in particular was about how Torchwick went alone and destroyed a large Grimm that had slain several valiant warriors who had failed in trying to do the same. Thus I decided our other targets based on the page numbers of other such tales about that infamous rogue.

The hope that I held was that the Rouge vault would have splendorous and distinctive enough items, and our selection of other vaults so seemingly random or on a whim; that the Rouges would never suspect that they had been deliberately targeted.

After the last charge had been set, Neo and I took a moment to step back and admire our handiwork. In my hand was the detonator, with my thumb over the button, I turned my gaze to Neo in a silent question. As soon as I hit the detonator, we would have roughly ten minutes before the authorities arrived, so we would have to move fast.

"Do it." Neo said.

With a grin, I obliged.

* * *

Later that night, I let out a heavy sigh of contentment as I lowered myself into a chair, Neo was already asleep, curled up on a couch.

I had just finished up a call with several contacts, all who had accepted the items I had offered at a pittance. Now the stolen goods would be spread across at least one hundred auction houses practically overnight. The Rouge would be outraged, but even if they threatened or paid off the contacts, all would tell him the same thing; Roman Torchwick had struck again.

I felt my eyelids begin to close as the itch for revenge against the person who had hurt Neo so callously finally abated; when suddenly my scroll rang. My eyes snapped open, the scroll it was coming in on was a secure line, and there were few people who had the code for it. I grabbed it and my eyes narrowed as I saw who was calling.

"Talk to me," I commanded as I answered.

"Baron Laisren," Sunil's voice came over the line, "I did as you said and had those files you acquired from the Rashin studied by some of Kuroi's… 'contractors'."

"And?"

"It is as you surmised, it is indeed biological data, however it is… strange."

I frowned, "How so?"

"Well for one, it certainly isn't human or Faunus, nor is it any kind of animal that we've been able to identify. The closest we've been able to get was a record taken from… well… a Grimm, and even that wasn't a complete match."

My eyebrows lifted as I took that in, "The Rashin were studying Grimm?"

"We aren't certain, but doubtful. They likely recovered it from somewhere else."

I frowned, "Why do you think that?"

"I'm told because it was corrupted in parts that made it look like it was a hasty lift job. In fact, it looks like it was done years ago; as well as the fact that we've been able to find a record from where it was lifted."

"Oh?"

"I'm sending you the data now."

I received a file and my eyes narrowed as I began examining it, "Thank you Sunil, that will be all."

"Of course Baron."

After Sunil hung up I kept looking through the file, and it was about then that I started to get a feeling of apprehension.

By the time I was through examining the file, my mind was full of questions, any thought of sleep had long ago vanished.

If I was correct, then this information had been lifted from Cola.


	25. Chapter 25

Journal Entry 290

The Grimm, the bane of humanity, the great destroyers… yet in Atlas and Mantle, it was sometimes easy to forget they even existed. I've found that this is also true to some extent in Vale: so far removed from the frontier, with large walls and experienced Huntsmen and Huntresses to protect them.

I've read more than one historian's account of the Great War that this is one of the reasons why the war was so destructive. Humanity had largely crushed the Grimm, and in fact, primary sources at the time just before the war suggest that there was a prevalent belief that Grimm would go extinct in a couple of decades. This meant once the war began, and Grimm began swarming like locusts, there were settlements towards the interior of the kingdoms that hadn't even prepared the slightest defense against the monsters.

The point of all of this is that when humanity is kept safe and protected, wrapped up in the day-to-day concerns, we tend to forget just how big and scary the world is out there. Humanity and the Faunus are young when compared to the ancient world we live in. This is exacerbated by just how much of our history that has been lost. However, sometimes Remnant reminds us just how powerful and ancient its secrets truly are, and that we are but dust in the wind.

So what does this all have to do with my tale? Well, I suppose more than I'd like to think about. You see, in the midst of all my very human (and Faunus) struggles was an element of what almost could be described as supernatural. What comes next in my story are some of those reminders that we are but one small piece in a world that is ancient, full of mystery and horror.

Let's begin.

* * *

I grit my teeth, resisting the urge to let out a massive sigh. "No, Baron Junkers, as I stated before, your luxury liner as stated in your designs will simply not fly, literally and when the Committee of Mantle Aerial Safety looks at it, metaphorically as well."

There was spluttering on the other side of the line and not for the first time my mind became a litany of curses that at the fact that, as a prominent investor in the company, Baron Junkers was due a direct line to me in situations like this. Unfortunately, it appeared as though investing in Laisren Air Manufactory was the only intelligent decision that he was capable of making.

I looked at the blueprints on my scroll as the man continued on. Although, truth be told, I was uncertain of what made my blood boil more: the man's continued whining, or the mess of absolute incompetence that was the design he had submitted. The systems were all out of whack, the fuel lines insufficient, and the centerpieces of the whole thing, a pair of fountains on the wings that each stood a story tall didn't even have pumps. It looked like it had been designed by someone with the mental capacity of a heavily concussed squirrel.

Which, I supposed grimly, it had been, since as the Baron had assured me repeatedly, he had designed it all himself. I mean, by all that was good, no pumps? Did he expect to just have massive tanks of water Dust installed into the wings?

By the way, the answer to that question is 'yes'... yes he did.

When the man finally paused to take a breath I quickly pounced, "I apologize that you are disappointed with our service, Baron Junkers." I said, trying my best to keep my voice smooth and empty of any sarcasm, "If you so wish, I'll send you the information to contact our Head of Engineering and I promise that he will see to it personally that you will receive a set of plans in forty-eight hours, free of charge."

There was a good deal of grumbling from the Baron at that, which I took as assent; and quickly sent him Sunil's contact information, making a mental note to apologize to the Faunus engineer later. "There we go, thank you so much for your understanding Baron Junkers, and I apologize for the inconvenience."

It took practically all of my willpower not to slam the scroll into my desk as I hung up and I let out a groan.

"You don't think that level of stupid is contagious, do you?" I asked Neo.

"I've managed to do alright hanging around you." She instantly responded, not looking up from her magazine.

I let out a bark of laughter as I looked up at the ceiling, "You know, I'd be more hurt if I wasn't so starved to hear something even remotely clever."

"Now you know why I've managed to stay so thin." She replied turning the page, "I've been on a starvation diet hanging around you."

I lowered my gaze to her, wincing slightly, "Okay, that's good, you can stop now."

She raised an eyebrow, still not lifting her eyes from the page "Bowing out at 0-2? C'mon, you've got to at least score a point."

I was spared a response as the scroll rang again, "Timeout then." I told her as I answered it.

"Greetings Mister Fitzroy."

"Baron Laisren," Rudas Fitzroy answered in response, "I hope that my call finds you well?"

I grimaced slightly, "Sure, we'll go with that."

He chuckled slightly, "Just wanted to tell you that the prospecting report is coming in soon. And for once in such matters, it might even be better than we had expected."

I raised an eyebrow. We were of course, speaking of the business venture that he had mentioned at the party. It was a mining expedition into some of the northern wastes of Solitas, where it had been believed a cave of Proteger crystals had been discovered.

* * *

Right… Proteger crystals… very rare, very expensive, yet you've probably interacted with them more than a few times. Essentially, Proteger crystals are Dust dampeners, they're used in emergency shut-off systems, environmental hazard suits in factories, and the like. No one knows why or how they work, they just do. Whenever Dust needs to be shut off and shut off fast, Proteger crystals are what's used. Of course, in recent times, Atlas has been monopolizing the supply for use in armor, it's one of the reasons why the new Atlesian heavy mechs are going to be so damn durable.

The issue is that lots of Grimm congregate wherever they form. Tough Grimm too, not Beowolves and Creep. I'm talking Nevermores, Goliaths, even unique kinds of Grimm that are normally extremely rare can be found standing next to each other where they form.

Again, why does this happen? Nobody knows, hell no one even really knows how the crystals themselves form or under what conditions. It's all seemingly random. If someone ever manages to make synthetic stuff that's even half as good as the real stuff, they'll be one of the wealthiest people on the planet.

There's supposedly a deposit in the mountain outside of Beacon Academy, but no one knows for sure, as the Headmaster there has absolutely forbidden anyone from even so much as stepping foot there. So does that mean it forms in caverns or mountains, as was the case with the deposit that the expedition that Fitzroy and I had funded had found? Hell no, since there was a patch that was just sticking out of the ground in the desert of Vacuo, and another that was under a swamp in Mistral. Then there was another under the water off the coast of Patch. No discernible pattern or rhyme or reason, they just exist.

Anyways, back on topic.

* * *

"Well that's excellent news." I responded, "Any problems with the local Grimm?"

Rudas shook his head, "Between the airships that you helped provide and Dr. Gosha's expertise, the issues that we've had have been largely minimal. Her knowledge of the area has also been very helpful; it's like she knows the place like the back of her hand."

"Excellent," I leaned back in my chair, "That reminds me, when the opportunity arises I would very much like to speak with Dr. Gosha."

Rudas nodded, "That could be arranged. What did you wish to speak with her about?"

I waved my hand, "Oh, just the usual, gratitude for her knowledge and her superbly helpful assistance. Also, there was a research project involving deterring sea-based Grimm that I would be interested in funding."

Rudas raised an eyebrow at that, "Oh? Is Laisren Aerial Manufactory adding a naval department?"

"You never know." I answered lightly.

"Very well, I'll tell her and have her send you a time when she's available."

I nodded, "Excellent, thank you very much Mister Fitzroy."

"My pleasure Baron Laisren."

After he hung up I put down the scroll, "Now, where were we?"

"Play resumes, yojimbo is up 3 to nill." Neo replied as she turned the page on her magazine.

I frowned, "I distinctly remember it being 0 to 2."

"I was making faces at you while you were talking with Rudas." She answered.

I was about to reply when the scroll rang again, "Hold that thought." I said, then answered the call.

"Hello?"

"Baron Laisren, this is Doctor Valens." Before he had even said his next words, I felt my heart turn to lead and out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Neo's gaze shoot up from her reading.

"I'm sorry, but Keara Rysin has just passed away."

* * *

Keara's funeral itself was a fairly simple affair; taking place at Valiance Mausoleum. The cemetery that the mausoleum is in is a ways south of Mantle, and the building itself is massive, constructed entirely out of gray stone. It makes for a solemn sight, and made for a fitting place for so somber an occasion.

A few of her old students attended, as well as a couple of old colleagues. I'm sure that I was slightly bedraggled, and Neo not much better as we had hardly slept a wink, trying to find comfort in holding each others' hands as we stared at the ceiling.

However, this is one of the few times in my life that I just couldn't bring myself to care about my appearance. As I watched her ashes interred Valiance Mausoleum, a massive, gray stone building that's reserved for Huntresses and Huntsmen; I was consumed by a yawning emptiness that filled my core. That day the snow fell around us in white sheets, as though the world itself was weeping for what it had lost.

Although I suppose in hindsight that Keara as who she was had died in the attack, the funeral still stood to me as a kind of final confirmation. Making it feel as though one of the last pieces of the truly content part of my childhood had been ripped away; leaving a large, bloody wound behind.

The very last pieces of that childhood stood beside me, Neo, Bayard, and Cola. Bayard wept openly, along with Neo, tears flowing in streaks down their cheeks. Cola however, stood like an ebony statue, towering over everyone with a solemn expression.

As the service ended, and everyone began going their separate ways, Cola rested his hand upon my shoulder. "Walk with me." He quietly ordered Bayard to take back to the mansion, to which the older man obeyed tearfully, putting a hand on her back as they left the cemetery.

It was at this time, more than any other, where I began to notice just how _old_ Bayard looked. He had always been older, but had always possessed a kind of energy and strength that made him seem decades younger. Now, in this time of vulnerability, I could see the weight of those years pressing down heavily upon him.

As Cola and I went our own separate way, I looked up at my protector, and for the first time, noticed the lines and worn features that spoke of a man who had lived a long, hard life. It was from this examination that I noticed that his nose was just slightly crooked, no doubt in a fight long ago in his youth. For some reason the thought of someone actually reaching up to Cola and breaking his nose made me smile slightly, and without warning, that broke the dam that I hadn't even aware had been ready to burst inside me.

I wailed, I beat my fists against the frozen earth, I cursed, I pleaded…

I grieved.

All the while, Cola was there beside me, saying nothing, but simply being present while I let out everything. Finally, my breathing grew steady and even as I brought myself under control. My lungs and throat burning as the cold air sliced at them like a knife.

"Ready?" Cola asked me softly.

There was so much behind that simple question, that single word carrying an immeasurable amount of weight. With it, he was asking if I was ready to leave behind the last part of my childhood. Whether I was ready to present to the world a facade of strength that could have no cracks, no weaknesses. Whether I was ready to lock all of those emotions of grief and sadness away, leaving that piece of myself behind in that cemetery.

I turned my gaze back towards the mausoleum in the distance for a long time, and then finally, I nodded. Without another word, Cola helped me to my feet, and we walked out of the cemetery.

* * *

"Rowan?" I shook myself, blinking as I lifted myself out of my thoughts.

Cola and I had been walking for what I was sure was miles, back to Mantle and into its winding streets and alleys. With some amusement, I realized that we were in a fairly shady part of town, and idly I wondered if anyone would actually be stupid enough to accost the two of us.

I turned my head slightly to look up at Cola's face, "Yeah?"

"Do you know what strength is?" He asked me.

I blinked, and I considered the question, "The ability to protect those closest to you." I finally answered.

Cola nodded slightly at that, "Not too far off of my own opinion."

That startled me, with those words I realized that this wasn't so much a case of him instructing me on what was correct: he was asking me a question. Possibly even as an equal.

"So what is your opinion then?" I asked him.

Cola looked up at the night sky, the snow from earlier had eventually slowed to a halt, leaving the moon to shine brightly overhead in the cloudless void.

"The ability to take vengeance." Cola answered softly. He lifted up a massive hand, "When something… or someone is taken, to be able to take absolute swift and bloody vengeance, such that no one will ever think to touch you again."

There was a sharp edge to his tone that slipped out and I saw something flash in his eyes that told me that it was thoughts such as these that had been running through his mind since the funeral service.

Then the massive man almost seemed to deflate as he let the hand fall back to his side, "But what kind of strength is that when everything is gone?" He whispered, "What solace is that to fill the holes that are left behind?"

I was struck dumb, my eyes riveted onto Cola's face, my feet on autopilot as I simply watched in disbelief as I saw something that I had never seen on his face…

Doubt.

I finally opened my mouth to say something, when there was a scream and my eyes flashed to a side alley where I saw a robbery appeared to be in progress. I heard Cola come to a stop beside me as we both took in the scene.

Five men had surrounded a tall woman with bright, green hair. All of the muggers were armed with a variety of guns and swords. The leader stepped up and smashed a fist casually into the woman's face, sending her sprawling, and his words echoed in the still night air.

"Shut it you animal." He snarled.

I frowned for a moment, and then my eyes widened as I saw that the woman's hair had parted to reveal a pair of small, furry ears jutting out from the top of her hair.

"Even if anyone heard you, do you think anyone would come and help a filthy Faunus and her little brat?" Another one of them mocked.

There was movement in a trash bin behind the woman and a little girl who couldn't have been more than twelve darted out, "Mommy!" She wailed.

"Neon!" She cried desperately, "Go! Get away from here!"

There was laughter from the thugs as one of the men grabbed the girl by her long tail and picked her up, causing her to scream thinly with pain.

"You bastards!" The woman screamed and she tried to rise, only to be knocked down again as the lead thug's boot connected with her head.

"Looks like the animal needs to be taught her place." One of the muggers said, and the others all cheered as they began advancing on the fallen woman. The leader put his weapon down in the snow and began fumbling with his pants while his compatriots began moving in eagerly.

Suddenly Cola stepped forward beside me, his face once more an impassive mask.

"I know for certain what strength isn't however: it isn't cruelty to those weaker than yourself."

What happened next was absolutely astonishing, even as I write it down, the whole scene feels like something out of a fever dream. One moment, a man at least one hundred and fifty kilograms in weight was standing right beside me, the next, he was amongst the thugs, who hadn't even noticed him by the time he had put his hands on two of their shoulders.

"Gentlemen." He said calmly, the two men had barely begun to turn when he shifted his grip and smashed their two heads together, turning them into pulps.

Blood sprayed through the night sky, staining the newly fallen snow a crimson shade of red, the others had just begun to notice the killer in their midst when he was already onto the next one, who screamed as Cola grabbed his hands and _squeezed_.

The mugger fell to his knees, his screams fading into feeble whimpers as his eyes bulged at the shattered gobs of flesh that used to be his hands. His misery wasn't for long however, as Cola pulled out a gun out of his suit and fired a round straight into the man's chest, sending him to the ground.

The man who was holding the girl dropped her and yelled as he brought his gun barrel up and began spraying wildly towards the behemoth that was descending upon him. Somehow, Cola emerged through the fusillade unscathed and with an outstretched hand, smashed the man's head into the wall. The thug's screams were cut short as Cola scraped the man's skull against the stone surface, leaving a trail of blood and brain in a streak in its wake. He let go of the corpse, which flopped to the ground, its face completely unrecognizable.

The leader was still struggling to get up and put his pants on when Cola put the gun up to his face.

The scene froze there and I stared, Cola had just killed four armed men in the same time that it would have taken most men to blow their nose. I shivered at the sheer demonstration of speed and power as a mixture of awe and not a little fear coursed through me. While I had been in fights before; the sheer clinical detachment with which my benefactor had conducted the violence shocked me to the core.

Now, Cola towered at his full height above the final mugger, who fell to his knees, "Please…Just let me go, I swear I-"

Cola tilted his head and smiled, "Don't ask me for mercy," He gestured towards the woman, "Ask her."

The man stared, wide-eyed at him, "What?" Cola sighed and pulled another pistol out of his coat and tossed it into the snow in front of the Faunus woman. "You heard me, your life is in her hands now. Now." He stepped forward and stamped on the man's leg, and I could hear the bones shatter as the man's scream echoed into the night sky. "Beg." Cola snarled, and he stepped back, holstering his gun.

The thug riveted his gaze to the Faunus woman and began crawling towards her, "Please, ma'am… we were drunk and we got carried away… Please… I've got money…"

The woman looked uncertainly from the man to the gun… she picked up the weapon, an unreadable expression on her face.

"Please! I-"

The woman snapped the gun towards the man and fired three shots that echoed into the night.

Three holes had materialized in the snow in front of the man and he carefully looked up at her, a look of terrified confusion and growing hope on his face as he realized he was still alive.

For a brief moment, I wondered if the woman had missed, but then she slowly lowered the weapon and shook her head.

"Go." She said bitterly, then turned to Cola, handing the weapon back to him, "Please," She pleaded, "There's been enough killing."

Cola's expression was inscrutable as he stared at her, then turned his gaze back to the wreck of a man in front of him, "Go on then, you heard her." He jerked his head, "You're free."

"Thank you, I promise I'll-"

"Just get out of my sight." Cola hissed.

The man bowed his head and then began to shuffle off, his shattered leg dragging in the snow behind him as he whimpered his way out of the alley.

"Sir, I can't thank you enough, I-" The woman began, and then paused as she looked closely at the face of her savior and her eyes widened, "You're Cola Malaika." She breathed.

Cola nodded politely, "The same."

"Please." She said, "I know that you do favors for people, and I know that I can hardly ask for more than what you've done…"

She paused and a cynical part of me wondered how much money she was about to ask for.

"But my daughter." She gestured at the young girl, "She has a Semblance, she can fight for you, she deserves a better life than this."

I blinked, and I felt shame bite at me as that thought dried up. It may have seemed like a lifetime ago, but I knew well the desperation that I saw in the mother's face, for a chance, any chance to escape a life of horror and hunger. I turned my gaze to Cola, trying to gauge his response.

Cola stood still for a moment and then abruptly walked up to the wall where blood and gore still glistened wetly and dragged a massive thumb across it. Wordlessly he walked up to the girl and knelt in front of her.

"Neon, look at this." Cola commanded her, "Look at it!" He snarled as the child cowered away from the terrifying giant and his blood drenched thumb. "This is all that remains of that man." He pointed at the mutilated corpse behind him. "He had a father, a mother, perhaps even siblings. One day, if you are weak, that could be _you_ , unless you are willing to kill without hesitation, no matter who it is." The child trembled as her terrified eyes stayed locked onto Cola.

The man stood up slowly and then abruptly pulled out a large knife and held it out to the girl, "Take it." He said softly. She stared at him in confusion and his tone hardened, "Take it." He repeated.

The girl hesitantly grabbed the weapon, wrapping both of her hands around its hilt.

Cola nodded and then stepped back and gestured curtly towards her mother, "Kill her."

My jaw dropped at the order, believing for a moment that I had misheard, but Cola's eyes were cold as he looked down at the girl. The girl's eyes widened as she looked back and forth between her mother and the giant

"You heard me." Cola snarled, "You're no use to me if you hesitate, so kill her."

The woman turned from Cola to the child and then back to Cola again as tears filled her eyes, "Sir, please, is there really no other way?"

"If she can't obey an order than she's of no use to me." Cola stated flatly, "As long as you're alive then she's a liability."

I stared at Cola who had at this point had transformed into a whole other person, just like when he had tortured Odell. Gone was the man who played with Neo and I, and who had smiled warmly at us as we had shown him how we had progressed in our studies. Who had laughed a big, booming laugh whenever Keara had told one of her bawdy tales.

This was Cola Malaika, the legendary leader of the Red Snow gang. A man who had built an empire, and would later go on to nearly accomplish what many deemed impossible.

The Faunus woman nodded slowly and then walked up and fell to her knees in front of the child. "Neon, listen to me." She stroked the child's hair, "This man will take care of you, you won't have to live on the streets anymore where men like these," She gestured to the dead bodies around them, "Have you at their mercy. So please." She caressed the child's hands around the knife and lifted it up, "You have to-"

"No!" The child screamed,and she wrenched her hands out of her mother's grip; her whole body trembling.

Cola sighed and then lowered his gun to point at the back of the Faunus woman's head, "Pathetic."

His finger began to squeeze down on the trigger and the child sprang into motion with a roar, before I could shout a warning she was plunging the knife towards the giant man's leg…

And was stopped as Cola's hand shot out and grabbed the knife before it could connect. She struggled in his grip, her eyes wild as she yelled and screamed in rage.

Cola watched her, as though considering something and then leaned over and whispered something to her. The girl quieted and abruptly stilled, her head lolled and with amazing gentleness, Cola scooped the now sleeping girl up in his arms, the knife fell from her hands to fall blade first into the snow.

The woman stood up and watched Cola the fear slowly fading from her eyes as the giant, ebony-skinned man cradled the child in his arms; his face softening.

"I cannot use her." He said simply, and he handed Neon to her mother. "However there is another path for her, if she does have a Semblance, bring her here." He reached into his coat and pulled out a business card and handed it to the woman. "Go there and tell them that Mister Untara sends his regards. Can you do that?"

The woman nodded, "Thank you." She said simply.

"Do not thank me." He said as he dusted off his suit, "The road ahead is always hard for an aspiring Huntress; yet it will be even harder for her. All I am doing is allowing her to take the first steps."

The Faunus woman didn't seem to know what to say to that, but she bowed slightly and scampered off down the alleyway, the child held tightly in her arms.

Cola watched them leave, then turned around and walked back to where I was standing, mutely watching the scene unfold. He stopped beside me and stood there for a long time.

"As I have said, I have begun to question, what strength truly is." The massive man finally said, his voice completely calm, as though nothing unusual had occurred. He gestured back at the blood-stained alley, the smell of death just starting to seep into the night, "Many kinds of strength were demonstrated tonight, but the question is… which one was the strongest?"

I had no answer to that, and if I'm being honest, I still don't. Looking back, this incident and Keara's death likely set in motion much of what was to follow. Whether it was for good or ill, I don't honestly know I can say for certain. However, it is no exaggeration to say that it changed the fate of a kingdom forever.

Cola and I said nothing more to each other that night as we walked through Mantle's streets, the only sound being the snow crunching beneath our feet.


	26. Chapter 26

**Thanks to TehGramerPolise for helping with this chapter.**

* * *

"So I've been thinking." Neo began.

The streets of Mantle passed by as I lifted an eyebrow, turning my gaze from the window beside me; the sights outside ranging as usual from those of staggering wealth to abject poverty. It was early in the morning, so the streets were still clear as we drove down to the Laisren docks.

Once there, we would board an airship that would take us to a waystation where I would be meeting Dr. Gosha. The doctor was known across Remnant as one of the foremost experts on Grimm; I had acquired her services for my joint venture with Rudas Fitzroy both for that… and the fact that her name was contained in the Monochrome file that had been recovered from the Rashin.

The idea was simple: I would journey to the waystation, and in return for funding several of her projects, she would answer some questions. Rudas had arranged the meeting as he had promised; however, he had warned me to be prepared that she was rather… abrasive.

I took that as a kind of perverse compliment, as I, along with many others no doubt, believe firmly that a genius in a field must always be abrasive, spacy, or possesses some kind of other social defect. (I, of course, am an exception because I am a genius in _many_ fields, but enough on that)

"Oh?" I responded as Neo looked at me intently with her mismatched eyes.

"Bayard and I were talking with the other people that attended Keara's funeral." Her tone was solemn as she spoke, "Keara was… well she was a hero."

"I think we're in better position to know that: more than anyone else." I answered mildly.

Neo bit her lip and dropped her gaze, "Sorry, I'm not saying this very well."

I winced and scratched the back of my neck, "No, sorry. That was unfair of me; go on."

Neo took a breath, "When things started to turn south at Mountain Glen, she organized a small group of volunteers to go there to fight. In the final days she apparently she helped at least fifty people escape after the Grimm breached the underground cavern. She was given a medal for her service and was apparently a bit of a household name."

I blinked slightly in surprise, "Then why didn't-" I inhaled sharply, "Asher…"

She nodded, "After Asher and Scarlett… did what they did... she was forcefully removed from the spotlight. The hate and anger people directed towards her as their mentor meant that it was safest for everyone if she just disappeared."

I leaned back into my chair and drummed my fingers on the armrest, "So where are you going with this?" I asked her.

"One of the Huntsmen we spoke with mentioned that Atlas Academy needed funding and equipment for an environmental hazards building."

I smiled slightly and thought about that, "The Keara Hazard Building?"

She shook her head, "On second thought maybe we should pass it up just so that you don't get to name it.

I chuckled slightly at that, "It's a great idea, Neo." I told her, "As soon as we get back I'll starting getting things in motion."

Neo beamed and grabbed my hand, squeezing slightly, "Thank you Rowan."

It was at this point, that my heart seemed to explode.

Oh… not because of any kind of sappy, 'The woman of my dreams was touching me' shtick. I mean that pretty much everything else around me was exploding so my heart was inclined to join in.

* * *

The next few seconds were a bit of a blur, I was vaguely aware that I was picked up and carried away from the flaming wreckage of the car. The next thing I remember with clarity was sitting behind a stone pillar, Lusban was kneeling beside me firing a pistol and using the stone as cover.

"Stay down Baron!" He yelled at me as he saw that I was regaining conscious. I nodded dumbly, I realized I was clutching something tight and I looked down to see with mild surprise that I had somehow held onto Melodic Cudgel. That sparked a thought and my ears were still ringing as I looked from side to side desperately.

"Where's Neo?" I asked him.

The man grimaced, "Sorry sir, I could only move one of you."

I blinked as in my impaired state I struggled to understand what he was saying, then my eyes widened. "She's still in the car?" I peeked around the corner and my heart plummeted as I saw the roaring inferno that was the vehicle.

"Again, my apologies Baron, I uh… am a little compromised."

For the first time, I noticed the strained note in his voice and I looked at him. The man wasn't so much kneeling as he was slumped out onto the ground; blood drenched his pants. He gave me a weak grin, "Sorry for laying down on the job sir."

I took a deep breath as I calmed down, trying to assess the situation, "I need to get to that car." I said calmly.

"Sir, I'm sorry, but if she's still in there… she's either dead or close enough to it that it won't make a difference. We should withdraw and call for extraction."

I grit my teeth, "I'm not leaving her." I said firmly, "How many hostiles?"

"Six at least," Lusban answered, "Four in that Schnee Dust Company outlet, 2nd floor, then two on the roof of the clothing store."

I nodded, "Right," I set down Melodic Cudgel and pulled out a couple of the Dust rounds and broke them open, "On the count of three, I'm going to create a distraction, then you cover me."

"Baron-"

"Just do it." I snarled as I capped off my hastily modified Dust round and loaded it into Melodic Cudgel. "One…"

I saw Lusban grind his teeth a little in frustration, but he checked his pistol and adjusted himself.

"Two…" I took a deep breath and was already in motion as I called out, "Three!"

I flipped out and fired the round high into the air.

It's a damn miracle what you can do with Dust and desperate ingenuity. A ball of red light arced high into the air and seemed to hang there for an instant before exploding into a ball of flashing light and sound. I kept my head down as I sprinted towards the wreckage of the car, behind me I heard gunshots as Lusban fired at our attackers; hopefully, he was keeping them busy.

I reached the wreckage and began desperately clearing the debris of the door, smashing away with Melodic Cudgel at what I couldn't clear with my hands; so desperate was I that I barely felt the burns I was inflicting upon myself. Finally, as I reached the passenger seats, my heart leapt…

Laying on the seat, slightly singed, but otherwise undamaged, was Neo's umbrella, however, Neo was nowhere to be seen.

I grabbed the weapon and ran from the remains of the car, diving behind a bench. I profusely thanked whoever the stingy bastard was that decided that such public accommodations should be uncomfortable, solid metal rather than anything nicer or harder to upkeep as rounds slammed into it.

As though from far away, I heard Lusban return fire as I tried to analyze the situation. Neo had gotten out of the car, no doubt thanks to her Semblance, but was currently deprived of her main weapon. No doubt that wouldn't be too large of an issue for her, provided she could close the distance. She was probably thinking along similar lines, however, it was almost certain that the explosion had at least somewhat compromised her Aura. That would mean that she would both want to minimize the amount of jumps, as well as avoid fire while she got close so that at least some of her shell would be intact for the fights themselves.

My gaze ran around the area, as I tried to guess where her first jump out of the car had been. It would have to be somewhere where she could have recovered and yet kept an eye on the situation as well… there were a couple of trees lining the street, but their leaves were far too sparse to provide adequate concealment. Down the street there was a statue of a man atop a horse, but it was so conspicuous that it was almost laughable as a selection.

 _Behind us_ , I cursed aloud, all this time I had been looking at things that had been in front of the car, and as I turned, my eyes shot to a slightly dilapidated, large stone building. Perfect, there were plenty of nooks and crannies on the upper stories that would allow her to dash down to a series of thick shrubs and bushes that were on a median in the center of the street.

I twirled the umbrella idly, no doubt she had already made it to those bushes and shrubs during my mad dash to the car, now she would be looking to get to the alley beside the building next to the Schnee outlet building.

To do that, she would need another distraction, I grimaced as I did an inventory of my available Dust rounds, not enough to do another flare… maybe something slightly less flashy?

Suddenly, some unknown instinct made me open the umbrella and lift it up to face my left side. I had barely done so when light and heat flashed across its surface as Dust rounds slammed into it. I tried to think calmly as I stilled my shaking hands, no doubt as I had been sitting here, some of our attackers had been flanking around to fire behind my temporary cover. On the plus side however, I now had an idea for a distraction, I loaded up Melodic Cudgel with a double load, noting as I did so that Lusban's gunfire had ceased. I did my best to crouch as low as I could and taking a deep breath, dashed out into the open, ducking and weaving as I did so.

The incoming fired doubled and then re-doubled as all of the attackers focussed their fire on me. My steps took me straight towards the Schnee Dust Company outlet; I gritted my teeth, lifted Melodic Cudgel and pulled the trigger. A blast of energy slammed into the window, and despite being reinforced, the glass shattered inward and I dove inside. I ignored the screeching of alarms as I scanned the room. The only other occupant in the room was a man who was clawing at his face where glass shards had cut into it, horribly lacerating the skin. I lifted up Melodic Cudgel and blasted him off his feet as I walked towards a case full of red Burn Dust crystals. Lifting up my weapon, I smashed the case and grabbed a handful just as a series of footsteps began thundering on the stairs on the far end of the room.

I cocked back my arm and threw the crystals at the base of the stairs, and as they landed, fired another shot from Melodic Cudgel; then I dove behind the counter and held the umbrella up, bracing myself.

There was a tidal wave of sound and heat as a massive explosion ripped through the stairs and I heard screams as splinters and flame shot everywhere. My ears rang as I peeked above the counter. The entire other half of the store was now ablaze, and I was congratulating myself as I turned when I saw two men with rifles getting ready to fire.

Time seemed to slow as I lifted up the umbrella, but it was going to be too slow. I noted the climbing gear at their waists as despair slowly ripped through me, I realized they must have been the two attackers on the roof, and they had climbed down to flank me.

Then, just as they began to pull the trigger, they both flew to the sides and a small figure materialized between them, their shots flew wide as they crumpled to the ground.

I let out a slow breath of relief and a gave a shaky grin, "Well… you took your time."

She smiled back, "I couldn't help it, you look so elegant with an umbrella."

"Hmmm." I twirled the weapon, then tossed it to her and she caught it easily, "I agree on principle, but I don't know if the colors look good on me."

Neo looked around the room and grimaced as a beam collapsed, "Let's get out of here before your remodeling kills us."

We strode out of the burning building, just in time to witness seven more men similar to those who had just attacked us unload from a van. One of them pointed and they all lifted their rifles at us.

Neo lifted up her umbrella to protect us, but instead of gunfire I heard the sound of rending flesh and screams. I lifted an eyebrow at Neo, who shrugged slightly and lowered her umbrella to reveal two familiar… faces.

"Ichi, Ni." I nodded to both of them in turn.

The two bowed their heads, their two massive nodachi blades still drenched in blood.

"I assume Kuroi is here then?"

Instead of answering they both turned to face the van just as Hana stepped out from the other side, carrying a man who I assumed had been driving the van. Kuroi followed shortly afterwards and he beamed as he saw me.

"Mister Little Red." He greeted me, he jerked a thumb at the Schnee Dust Company building, which was now fully ablaze, "The Cleaners are on their way, and they'll give us probably about ten minutes before fire-fighters show up; they're less easy to pay off than the police. Don't worry about your man…" He jerked his head at Ichi and Ni, "They'll get him some medical treatment."

He turned to Hana and his captive, "In the meantime, I thought you'd want to hear this little piggy squeal."

The man's eyes were wild as he struggled in Hana's massive arms, "I swear I don't know anything! Please, just let me go!"

Kuroi clucked his tongue, "Hana?"

The man nodded and planted his palm onto the captive's forehead, and a silver light began to leak out from between his fingers.

"If you ever have to decide upon who to interrogate after a strike like this, always get the driver." Kuroi told me conversationally, "They already know where they're supposed to drop everyone off after the operation, and in this line of work, they're often the highest ranking member because they get to sit in the truck and not be on the front lines."

As he spoke, the captive man's breath began getting harsher and faster, like he was in intense pain and was trying not to scream.

"I'll... tell... you... nothing!" He spat at us between breaths, "Nothing you can do to me can equal what he'll do if he realizes I talked."

"It's a 'he' then?" Kuroi's smile was like a shark's.

One of the man's eyes began to turn red as a capillary broke and blood began to fill his eye. Beside me, Kuroi chuckled, "Admirable, but a mistake." He turned to me slightly, "He tried to fight the impulse to confirm what I just said due to Hana's Semblance, despite it being a rather minor point." He turned back to the man, "It won't be long now."

Less than a minute later, the man suddenly slumped in Hana's arms, his mouth slack and his eyes half-closed and empty. Kuroi rubbed his palms, "There we go!" He enthused, "How much time do we have Hana?"

"He was a tough one," Hana noted, "Probably two minutes."

Kuroi inhaled sharply, "Ooo… rapid fire round." He winked at me, "Well, so I think we know just who sent this little rascals, but let's double-check ourselves before we wreck ourselves." He turned to the man, "Who sent you?"

The man made a sound like he was going to vomit, "Serroi…" He croaked.

I grit my teeth, "So he knows that Cola's getting close then?"

The man spasmed, then coughed up blood and Kuroi grimaced, "Try to avoid asking things like questions for now Mister Little Red, apparently our little pig doesn't know anything about that. I have some information about that after we're done here."

I winced slightly and nodded, "Continue."

Kuroi turned back to the man, "Where were you supposed to drive to after the strike?"

"North-east District…" He gasped, "Dockyard… ship…"

I frowned as a large white van parked at the end of the street, and small figures in what appeared to be gas masks and heavy environmental hazard suits began piling out. "Kuroi." I interjected and nodded towards them.

Kuroi followed my gaze, "Ah, so you've never seen the Cleaners in person before. When they pull out the vacuum, make sure to hold your breath."

I watched in fascination, only half listening as Kuroi continued to draw information out of our captive. Most of the figures appeared to be Faunus, with various animal traits ranging from long, hairless tails, to oversized ears jutting out from the top of their heads. I continued to observe them as they began to pick up the bodies and carry them to a large, white tent that three of their number had erected. Once all of the bodies had been placed inside, two of them used a large spray tank to cover the ground with a green substance that to my amazement, appeared to dissolve the blood and gore left there, leaving it spotless.

Neo suddenly nudged my shoulder, "Vacuum," She told me and jerked her head towards what indeed appeared to be a massive vacuum. Two of the figures attached the nozzle to a tube on the tent and I heard Neo take in a huge breath beside me as they turned the contraption on.

Curious, I hesitated and took a speculative sniff of the air, at first there was nothing, then barely a moment later I was puking up on the ground.

I have smelled every single foul scent humanity has ever conjured; rotting food, flesh, unwashed bodies… nothing in my life has even come close to the sheer foulness and _wrongness_ of that smell. It was like a perversion of every single living thing embodied into a single stench. I was later to learn that the Cleaners were indeed a Faunus clan, mostly of subterranean rodents. Their bloodline Semblance was the ability to secrete acid of varying strengths, their strongest they used on the bodies their clients paid them to dispose of. That process is what I smelled, and from what I've been told that the nature of the smell actually does somehow supersede a mere physical foulness. Something about how Aura is a facet of our humanity and using it in such a manner is inherently perverted in some way.

All I knew at the time was that I puked my guts out for a solid ten seconds before Neo finally dragged me off to the side, patting me on the back sympathetically, "You just had to test it… didn't you?" She asked wearily.

I grinned weakly, "You know me." I managed to wheeze.

She shook her head, then her face became concerned as she noticed my hands.

"Rowan, what the hell did you do?"

I winced as I tried not to look at the burns that covered my palms and fingers, "I uh…"

She cursed, "Of course, when you were at the car,"

"It's not that bad," I protested, despite the searing pain I was doing my best not to show.

"Right… hold on," She reached into a pouch at her side and rummaged around before pulling out a bottle, "Hold out your hands." I did so and she poured a slimy, green liquid out onto the burns. She took firm hold and began rubbing it in, I grit my teeth as searing pain coursed through my limbs.

When she was done she recapped the bottle, "Alright, try not to touch anything for a bit and let that sink in, your Aura should help do the rest, but it's still gonna sting for a bit."

"Thanks," I told her.

"No problem." She said.

We were silent for a couple moments.

"When..." She took a deep breath, "When I came to after the explosion, and I couldn't find you…"

"Neo…"

"No, Rowan please, let me finish." She turned to me, "We should have some kind of easy way to communicate, I doubt this is going to be the last time something like this happens."

I thought about that for a moment, about my own panic that had lead to me putting myself in reckless danger and injuring my hands, I nodded, "When we get back, I'll see about us getting some kind of heavily reinforced communicator, just something simple and robust to let each other know we're okay, maybe some simple signals."

Neo nodded, "Good idea."

"Just kind of chagrined that I didn't think of it before."

Neo shrugged, "Live and learn."

"Heh," I looked up at the sky that was slowly morphing into dawn, "Survive..."

"Steal, cheat, lie?" Neo finished.

I grinned, "You know it." I answered.

Neo abruptly stood up beside me and I lowered my gaze to see Kuroi and Hana walking up to us.

"The little piggy told us a little bit more, apparently there's a weapons plant on the outskirts of Mantle we didn't know about, that's about it though." Kuroi said, "I sent him to the grinder to make some sausage." There was a high scream that ended with a gurgle and Kuroi smiled before continuing. "As far as your man goes, he'll stabilize, but he's gonna be off his feet for about a week."

I nodded as I stood up and brushed off my pants, "Very good, my thanks, Kuroi." I frowned, "He was talking about them going to a dockyard to escape the city, did you manage to find where their destination would have been?"

"Ah… that would be the reason why I'm here in the first place," He reached into his pocket, "You were talking about Cola getting close?" He pulled out a letter and handed it to me, "It's in code of course, but Cola said you would know the key."

I grabbed the letter and read it, then re-read, and by the end there was an excitement running through me that nearly had me shaking. "What is it Rowan?" Neo asked.

"It's time Neo." I told her, "We're done running, we're done being attacked." I handed her the letter, "This time, we're the ones who are going on the offensive."


	27. Chapter 27

**Thanks to TehGramerPolise for helping with this chapter.**

* * *

The first order of business was to call Dr. Gosha's office and inform them that I was not going to be able to attend our meeting as something had come up, but that I would reschedule soon. I then quickly organized one hundred thousand lien to be deposited to their funds as a 'Consulting Fee'... that sort of thing tended to soothe a lot of ruffled feathers.

That business taken care of, I then turned to the matters at hand, "Kuroi."

"Yes, Mister Little Red?"

"We'll need to get transportation to the airdocks as soon as possible. Any ideas?"

The man's eyes wandered over to the Cleaners and he nodded towards the now abandoned van that our attackers had driven in on.

I will admit that my face paled slightly at the prospect of getting closer to the source of that gut-wrenching smell, but I kept my posture composed and crisp as I walked up to the Faunus who were in the process of stowing away their equipment.

As I approached, one of them met me, "Small-big mess yes? 1,168 kilograms organic, one van, one car totaled, building: burned. Fire-fighting persons delayed fifteen minutes." The Faunus' long rat tail twitched slightly as she handed me a scroll.

I grimaced slightly at the amount, but I couldn't argue with the results I was seeing: already all of the blood and gore had vanished, and I could see several of the Faunus loading in some of the burned corpses from the Dust shop into the car; as well as fist-sized purple Dust crystals being attached to the rear bumper.

At a signal, one of the Faunus hit one of the Dust crystals with a hammer, and the car careened though the front of the building.

"Building fried no reason? Too smelly," The female Faunus explained, "Instead, use scrap-trash around, make other scene, yes, yes."

I had to admit it was somewhat ingenious, it might not stand up under intense scrutiny, but the easy answer was that some morons had driven the car into the building, causing a Dust explosion and fire. I signed the amount over, "My allies and I require transportation, would you mind ceding the van to us?"

The Faunus scratched at her chin, her expression unreadable behind her mask. "Take scrap-trash from battle-place? Cannot be sniff-seen elsewhere, against Rules, must be scrap-saved now, now."

I frowned as I could feel a headache building "Would you at least consider delaying taking the van apart until we are able to get to our destination?"

The Faunus cocked her head to one side, "Hmm… where, where?"

"The Laisren dockyards."

The Faunus shook her head, "No, no, sniff-seen at client place?" Her tail smacked against the ground sharply, "No, no, against Rules."

Then she seemed to get an idea, "But we can take, take! Yes, yes, clan's motor-wheely, that good, good! We scrap-save other motor-wheely."

"The clan's-" Then my gaze shot up to the Faunus' van and my stomach gave a slight lurch as I realized what she was suggesting, "You mean," I pointed to where several of the Cleaners were loading large, suspiciously sloshing plastic bags into the back, "You'll take us in that?"

"Yes, yes!" The Faunus confirmed, seemingly oblivious to my trepidation, "We call other motor-wheely for take scrap-garbage, take ours." She waved her hand in a strangely magnominous fashion, "No fee-charge, plenty-many customer yes, yes."

I wrestled briefly with the steadily rising sick feeling in my gut; the very idea of stepping foot in that _thing_ was revolting… but it was the fastest option for us to get to the airdocks.

I swallowed, "Very well, my thanks."

The Faunus nodded, "Good, good!" She turned and chattered at the other Faunus, who immediately burst into movement, offloading the material they had loaded into the van. Within moments, she gestured to us, "Is ready now, now! Enjoy motor-wheely travel-on!"

"Thank you." I managed, and began walking towards the vehicle, resolving to breathe as little as possible.

* * *

The inside of the van was amazingly roomy, able to easily fit all seven of us in the back, despite the massive size of Kuroi's companions.

This however, was of little comfort to me as I tightened myself practically into a ball, minimizing my contact with the surfaces of the interior of the vehicle as much as possible. I tried as much as possible to keep my gaze straight ahead, avoiding looking at the strange stains and other blemishes that marked the walls and floor.

The moment that the van stopped just outside the docks couldn't come soon enough, and for once I was as fast as Neo, barging out the doors to take a deep breath of fresh air.

I think that's the sole reason that I didn't take the bullet that hissed through the air to impact the van right where I had been sitting moments before.

Instantly I hit the deck, the crack of the rifle hadn't even faded by the time Neo had leapt out of the van and grabbed me by the collar, her umbrella already unfurled. The next moment, there was the familiar feeling of displacement and we were suddenly at the base of the ramp leading up to the airship that was docked there. "Move!" She yelled as she put her back against mine, her umbrella covering our rear.

I obeyed, sprinting up the ramp as fast as I could, Neo following behind me. I had almost made it to the top when Neo slammed into me, sending me flying into the airship. I groaned as I rolled over just in time to see Kuroi and his companions file in behind us, closing the door behind them.

Neo let out a harsh hiss of pain beside me as she sat up, "You okay?" I asked her.

"Yeah… I think one of my ribs is cracked, but I'll manage." She held up her umbrella and my jaw dropped as I saw that something had torn a hole clean through it.

"Damn, I'll have to get that repaired." She said.

"What the hell did that?" I asked.

"This," Kuroi answered and he tossed me something, which I caught deftly.

I frowned, it was an arrow, but it seemed to be made out of some kind of stone; however, it was bent and blunted, like a piece of warped iron.

"What is this?" I asked as I stood up.

"It looks the handiwork of a mercenary archer from Vale." Kuroi replied, "Goes by the name 'The Crimson Archer'. His Semblance allows him to empower arrows with Aura."

"Well that's lovely," I muttered, "How'd they know we were coming?"

Kuroi scratched his chin, "There must have been someone at the scene whose sole purpose was to report what happened. They must've tipped the shooters off that we would be riding in that vehicle."

"Any chance they were just firing on any vehicle that came to the docks?" I asked him.

He shook his head, "Very unlikely, firing on a Cleaner's van is a big oopsie-daisy. Serroi will never be able to hire their services again, and whoever the shooter was, they'll never be able to set foot in Solitas again if they value their life."

"Their clients take exception to that kind of thing?" I asked.

Kuroi snorted, "They won't have to lift a pinky. No, the Cleaner's themselves will sort them out. If you ever don't want to sleep, I'll tell you some stories about the examples they've set. Odds are, somebody tattled that we would be riding in that van."

"Hmm…" I got to my feet and extended a hand to Neo, who took it gratefully. "It could have been some run of the mill thug who was hiding in the buildings, but we shouldn't rule out the possibilities of stealth Semblances." I began walking down the corridor, "In any case, that makes this next bit of deception all the more important."

"Oh?" Kuroi inquired.

I didn't answer as a man in a airship officer uniform ran towards us, "Baron Laisren!" He bowed deeply.

"Captain, report."

"My deepest apologies, we attempted to communicate with you, but our signals were jammed. Twenty minutes ago, while we were preparing for takeoff, our security personnel were ambushed as they were performing their inspection. Of the ten on board, eight are wounded and two are dead. Several of my crew tried to escape to warn you, but they were cut down as well."

My heart sank as I saw the pain in the man's eyes, despite his admirable composure, "Send their names and next of kin to Sunil," I commanded him, "We'll make sure they're taken care of."

The captain slumped his shoulders and nodded gratefully, "Thank you Baron."

I nodded, "Captain, in light of recent events, our destination has changed: we are returning to the Manufactory, full speed."

The man bowed, "Yes Baron, right away." He dashed off back to the bridge.

Once he had gone, I turned to Kuroi, "Do you have a spare secure scroll?" Kuroi grinned and pulled out a scroll, which he handed to me.

I typed out a message to Sunil, 'Alert all security forces for immediate lockdown, and evacuate all non-essential personnel. Among essential personnel, ask for volunteers and inform them that they will be compensated for hazard pay; perform triage of systems as you see fit if we lack personnel. As for the airship that will be arriving: make sure that the crew are kept under guard. They have wounded, so prepare emergency care.'

I sent the message and began walking towards a cordoned off section of the airship. I stopped in front of a large, yellow sign that read, 'Under Mantenance.'

"Huh," Kuroi raised an eyebrow, "I swear, education these days."

I grinned slightly as I rapped my knuckles on the sign three times right under the misspelled word. There was a buzz and a small square of the sign lifted to reveal a keypad.

I quickly tapped in a series of keys and the wall next to the sign slid aside to reveal a set of stairs, which I began walking down.

Wordlessly, the others all followed me and we soon arrived on a small hangar bay where a single Bullhead was docked.

"Damn," Kuroi shook his head, "There's paranoia, and then there's _this_."

I simply grinned as I hit the docking controls and the Bullhead's back opened and the loading ramp lowered down.

* * *

Two quick notes about the Bullheads secretly installed in most of the Laisren personal airships:

1\. They were originally meant to simply avoid paparazzi. To that end, they were outfitted with highly experimental stealth technology, that actually allows the ship to be invisible to the naked eye for the first few seconds after its launched. (Awesome right?)

2\. You can tell if one's installed if you see a misspelled sign such as the one above, but there's a different trick to revealing the keypad for each one.

See if you can't figure it out. Maybe if you get it right, I'll let you live one day.

* * *

Anyway, I piloted the Bullhead away from the ship and flew to the coordinates that Cola had included in his letter. It was Southeast of Mantle, right along the coast of Solitas, the waves crashed against the steep cliffs causing sprays of water to launch high into the air.

"So what exactly are we looking for?" Neo asked as I began to slow the craft down.

I looked around for a moment and then pointed, "Apparently that." I answered.

Neo followed my finger and then frowned, "A log cabin?"

I shrugged, "That's what the letter said; we're supposed to land by a couple of trees…"

Neo tapped me on the shoulder and nodded to a couple of pine trees, I turned the Bullhead and lowered it down next to them.

We filed out the loading ramp into the snow and began trekking towards the lone structure in silence, the only sound being our muffled footsteps. I expected at any point that we were going to be challenged by a guard, but no one appeared as we reached the door of the cabin.

Slightly unnerved, I cautiously reached out and knocked on the door. There was the sound of creaking wood and a moment later the door opened to reveal the massive form of Cola.

"Rowan, Neo." He greeted warmly, he looked over at Kuroi and nodded, "Kuroi, my thanks for passing on the message; however, would you mind waiting out here for a moment while I talk to these two?"

Kuroi shrugged and gave a mock salute, then turned around to bark orders at his companions. Cola turned his gaze down to us and beckoned us inside.

We obeyed and the massive man closed the door behind us, before I could react, Neo had the blade of her umbrella drawn. Its point squarely underneath Cola's chin, who simply stood still, his posture relaxed.

"How do we know that you're Cola?" Neo demanded, "Cola would have guards, pass-phrases… where's Bernard?"

The ebony giant simply gave a tired smile, "Very good Neopolitan." He murmured, his deep tones resonating slightly in the enclosed space, "You waited until a time when Kuroi will be the most distracted in case he had betrayed you and an imposter would be off his guard, as he would be expected to be challenged later."

He lifted an eyebrow, "The touch of mistaking Bayard's name was also a clever touch. Someone who was thinking too hard on what they were going to say would miss it and put you on alert."

Neo's blade stayed firmly where it was, "I'm still waiting." She said firmly.

Cola chuckled, "And not letting yourself get distracted, very good." Cola tilted his head slightly to look down at her, the blade pricking at his throat slightly; drawing out a small stream of blood that trickled down to drip onto his suit. "Ever since that day at the park when you found your Semblance I've longed for this day when I would have only praise and no lessons to give. Well done."

Neo huffed slightly as she lowered her blade, "Cutting yourself like that was totally unnecessary; you still really do love being dramatic."

"Guilty as charged," Cola admitted as he pulled out a handkerchief, which he pressed to the cut, "Now please, take a seat." He gestured to a couple of chairs that were set in front of a massive wooden rocking chair.

We did so and Cola joined us, sitting in the large chair to face across from us, "So I'm guessing that you have more than just us for the operation you spoke of?" I asked.

Cola nodded, "Indeed, I have gathered a fairly strong group of individuals and their organizations. Even as we speak, my own forces are quietly positioning to take down many different pieces of Serroi's criminal organization."

"What about Serroi himself?" I asked.

"That's where we come in." He said, "As well as the allies I have gathered, that will all be covered in the briefing."

I frowned, "And when will that be?"

"Immediately after this conversation," Cola replied, "We will be traveling to a bunker that is about five minutes travel by airship. There, I have called a meeting between the members, and from there, we shall launch our assault."

Cola shifted forward to look both of us in the eyes, "I have met with you two to give you one last chance. While I won't pretend that you won't be very useful in the coming fight, it will be very dangerous, and there's no guarantee of survival, much less victory. This is your last opportunity to walk away."

"What are our options?" I asked him.

The chair creaked slightly as he rested his elbows on his knees, clasping his hands in front of him, "You could simply go on as you have been," he replied, "If Serroi wins, then there's every chance that he'll be content taking over the criminal underworld, as there would be no one left to stop him. Your intent to co-exist with him would be declared by your absence in our attack."

He shrugged, "Alternatively you could ally yourself more closely with the government and try to form an alliance among the High Nobility and the Merchant Nobility to protect yourself, forming a second faction that way."

He looked between Neo and myself, "Finally, you could flee Solitas, change your identity and leave everything behind. You would be safe, but you would lose everything:" Cola shrugged, "Of course, there's every chance that we succeed and we go from there. However, a plan that depends on outright success is a useless one. The choice is yours."

I was silent for a long time, as I weighed all of those options, Cola was right, those were all viable alternatives, maybe they were even the more sensible options.

Yet seriously considering any of them was as repulsive to me as the smell from the Cleaners.

It probably should have been a harder choice than it was, but strangely, despite the two attempts on my life that very day, I was feeling invincible. Perhaps it was that feeling that drove me, perhaps I was sick and tired of being afraid of this demon that had haunted me all of my life, perhaps even my decision had more to do with the weight of Cola's gaze upon me than anything else.

Regardless of the exact reason, I could feel the heavy weight of destiny fall on my shoulders as I finally spoke.

"From what you're telling me," I said slowly, "I would either be effectively surrendering to him, postpone fighting him, or I would be hiding from him." I stood up, "Serroi's taken too much from me already, I refuse to live in a world where he exists. I'll fight."

Neo stood up beside me and grabbed my hand, I flashed her a grateful smile and she stuck her tongue out slightly in reply. We then both turned back to Cola, who leaned back and then clapped his hands slowly.

"It looks like my flair for the dramatic has rubbed off on you." He rumbled as he stood up, "Very well, let's go. I shall have to speak with Kuroi about something before we arrive."

Cola walked towards the door and opened it, leading the way out into the snow. Neo following shortly behind, I began to leave as well when out of the corner of my eye I saw something. I turned and saw a framed photo on a shelf. Curious, I walked over to it and picked it up.

It was of a tall, red-haired woman next to a roguish looking man; my heart lurched as I realized it was my mother and father. Standing behind them with a hand on their shoulders was Cola, many years younger, smiling widely; Bayard was nowhere to be seen and I wondered idly if he was the one taking the picture. One other person was there, standing slightly off to the side, it was an average-sized man, his face wide and friendly, his brown hair swept to the side.

They were all standing in front of the very cabin that I now stood inside. Which I noted for the first time was both in exceptionally good repair, and had not a single speck of dust or grime.

On a hunch I looked between the massive rocking chair and the shelf. The picture would have been directly across from it, and we had heard Cola getting up from the chair when we had first arrived.

I brushed my fingers over the picture, set it face-down and then walked out of the cabin.


	28. Chapter 28

**Thanks to TehGramerPolise for helping with this chapter.**

* * *

Journal Entry 310

You've probably heard that Mistral has a thriving underworld, and that's true; some of my favorite scum are from Mistral.

Solitas' and Mistral's underworlds main differences lay in their level of organization and centralization. In Mistral, there are hundreds of small crime lords, all fighting for little scraps of territory. Their talent pool consisted of people who've lived on the street their whole lives; so when you want someone sneaky and quick on their feet, you can't go wrong with getting a Mistralian Da-katou and his little posse.

In Solitas, you essentially had two major cities with several small, well organized settlements; everything's connected, which meant that it was far easier to consolidate control.

So in a nutshell, in Mistral you have lords, in Solitas you had kings and a queen. Cola Malaika was one such king, and Serroi Vertimos was another. There were others, sure, but as I was about to learn, the entire criminal underworld had been divided into two factions along those lines.

It had taken many years for that to occur, and an interesting dynamic had taken shape during that time. Cola had in many ways, become legitimate, practically a public figure, whereas Serroi Vertimos had stayed in the shadows, a kind of boogeyman.

You may have heard the phrase that power attracts power: this was true in this instance. The mirrored truth in this particular case however; is that monsters attract monsters. Cola had mostly attracted those that wanted order and more or less for society to remain stable. A shattered society is one that's attacked by Grimm and Grimm are bad for profits.

Serroi on the other hand had attracted those that wanted to destroy, that wanted to be able to wander the streets and slaughter with impunity. The strong would survive, and they would be the strong.

Keep this in mind, because it doesn't come into play now, but it will be soon.

For now, I want you to think about the fact that power attracts power. Now think about everything I've said previously about how Solitisian crime lords had been getting the best talent. All of that is about to throw down; most notably including your fabulous duo of Neo and myself.

Exciting, right?

* * *

I had just closed the cabin door behind me when someone put their hand around my shoulder and hugged me tight.

"Good news Mister Little Red." Kuroi enthused, "I looked over Roman's resume, and he's hired."

I frowned, "What do you mean?"

Cola rolled his eyes, "What Kuroi means to say is that we believe it would be best if you and Neo attended this meeting as your criminal alter egos. He has agreed to put on the ruse that Roman Torchwick and his accomplice work for him."

I thought that over, and nodded my agreement, "Alright, but we'll need disguises."

Cola nodded, "I already have some in our transport," He looked up at the sky, "It should be arriving right about…"

There was a slight rumble and an airship descended from the sky. I instantly recognized the design as a Laisren Rhino-class troop transport; it was about three times the size of a Bullhead, with the armor and weapons to match. I had used an unfinished design of my mother's for it; the weapons system in particular had been ingenious.

However, I recalled that I was quite certain that the only shipment of this particular airship model had been fifty to the Army of Mantle.

I lifted an eyebrow at Cola who smiled, "We have… certain parties… backing us for this venture. They have been so kind to loan several pieces of equipment."

I grinned at that as the airship landed and Bayard emerged, he looked at us then at Cola.

"They're coming." Cola replied.

Bayard nodded, "Told you they would."

Cola nodded in acquiescence, "You're late." He remarked.

Bayard bowed, "Apologies, there was an unexpected amount of air traffic from local avians; Juniper Whoopers flocks migrate this time of year."

Cola grinned, "All aboard." He told us as he led us up the ramp into the airship, "If memory serves, lockers A and B have your disguises."

Cola, Kuroi, and Hana all sat down in the seats while Neo and I opened the indicated lockers.

"Very nice." I murmured as I put on the red and gold mask I found inside, along with a lightly armored coat that was both comfortable and fashionable. Neo did the same with a suit of body armor, within a minute the two of us were suited up.

"What about your umbrella?" I asked her.

Neo grimaced and unfurled it, examining the hole, "I don't think this is something that can be fixed on such short notice. I'll just have to keep it in mind."

Cola frowned, "Did something happen to your weapon Neopolitan?"

Neo showed him and I jerked my head at the damaged weapon, "Some guy with a bow back at the airdocks."

Cola's eyes narrowed, "Hmm… The Crimson Archer… I didn't think Serroi had acquired his services. Valuable information."

He leaned back, "As for the umbrella, we might be able to arrange some kind of short-term fix, but it obviously won't be as durable as the rest of the weapon."

Neo nodded, "That would be appreciated."

"We're coming up on the bunker now," Bayard called back to us, "Gonna need those codes."

Cola stood up and beckoned to us, "Come I think you'll want to see this."

We followed him up to the cockpit just as there was a random burst of static over the radio; several seconds later it happened again.

"Damn, I told them to double-check the Dust relays in the cockpit." I muttered, "Radio malfunctions are exactly the kind of thing that lawsuits with fatalities happen over."

Cola's mouth widened into a smile as a third squawk came over the radio and he put a data chip into the transmission slot.

A few moments later two more squawks sounded and my eyes widened as a seemingly featureless part of a hill to our left began to open up, revealing a runway leading into its side.

Bayard turned the Rhino and took us down the runway, leading into a massive hangar bay. As the airship landed I simply stared as I saw several more Rhinos and even…

"Are those _tanks_?" I asked.

Cola's smile simply widened as we landed and we followed him down the ramp, where several men and women in full body armor and rifles came forward.

"The sun sets." The lead one called.

"The moon rises evermore." Cola replied instantly.

The man nodded and waved his arm for the others to stand down, "They're waiting for you in the central board room sir."

"Thank you." Cola nodded at him and lead us out of the hangar and down a long hallway.

More men and women in full body armor bustled to and fro, nodding in a deferential manner to Cola as they passed, who returned the gesture with a very slight nod of his own.

"This was a bunker from the Great War era." Cola explain, "Of course it was in disrepair, but we fixed it up, and very conveniently, all records of its existence have disappeared."

His tone left no doubt as to how that particular convenience had come about, finally we came upon a wide, sealed doorway. Cola reached out and pressed the intercom button at the side.

"For in this way." Argent's voice came over the speaker.

"All things must come to a beginning." Cola replied.

The doors opened to reveal a large, round table, around which were five chairs, three of which were occupied. Kuroi walked to another one of the chairs and sat down, Neo and I followed alongside Hana to stand behind him.

The first occupant was a squat, broad shouldered man with heavy eyebrows. Standing behind him were two tall men who looked like identical twins, their faces blocky, and fierce looking. I frowned as I got the feeling that they looked slightly familiar, but I shook it off and turned my gaze to the next occupant.

There, Midas Iverson sat, his golden rings glittering on his hand; behind him stood a tall woman in full plate armor, her golden hair bound in a tight ponytail, as well as a much shorter woman with a staff topped with a strange, silver ornament, a silver earring dangling from her right ear.

I then turned my gaze to the next person and blinked slowly in surprise.

Madam Bianca sat in that chair, twirling her long hair idly around a perfectly manicured finger. Standing behind her was The Grand Assassin, wearing his distinctive cloak and hood, and beside him was The Thunder King.

The Thunder King. They just don't make tournament fighters like him anymore. He was of fairly average height, but built like a tank. He wore web of metal plates that were inscribed with runes and designs that he claimed originated from his Vale highlander ancestors. His twin gauntlets of Tara and Nis covered his fists; he was an immensely successful fighter, having never lost a single match in his career. He was famous for finishing opponents by throwing them into the air and then leaping up to slam them back into the ground. He was loved as a winner, but played the part of the invincible villain, against which a hopeful hero would go up against, only to be beaten down.

So caught up was I that I didn't notice the third figure until Neo nudged me slightly with her elbow. I followed her gaze and I saw that it was Camille in her Steel Flower outfit.

It made a certain kind of sense, I supposed; given that Madame Bianca appeared that she was ready to throw aside her neutrality in this conflict, all of her fighters had something to lose. As her daughter, Camille had even more at risk in this operation, and there was no denying that she was highly skilled as a fighter.

"Welcome everyone," Cola said as he walked around to the final seat, Bayard followed to stand behind him. "I trust that the journey was pleasant?"

The squat man grunted, "If by 'pleasant', you mean that some bastards tried to blast me to pieces. Serroi knows that we're going to be striking soon."

"I agree with brick-house; the skeever even put the pain on a Cleaner's van." Kuroi interjected.

There was a small reaction around the table at that, "Indeed." Cola remarked. "As you are all well aware, I usually prefer absolute surprise and long, complicated plans."

He took out a small remote and pressed a button, a moment later, a holographic display detailing Solitas appeared. He pressed another button and a series of red lines and dots began appearing.

"The time for such plans however, is over." He said mildly, "For years I had a plant in Serroi's organization, and now it has finally paid off. I estimate that we know almost everything about 89% of his operations, and an additional 5% we know about their location, but little else."

"So what about the last 6%?" Madam Bianca asked.

Cola zoomed in on a snowy valley west of Atlas, "This is it, the missing 6% is a series of transports from all the operations that all come and go from this area."

"His headquarters?" Midas asked.

Cola nodded, "I believe so, therefore, this is the plan." He pulled out several data chips, "My forces are all positioned to annihilate portions of Serroi's operations, but I can't hit all of them." He handed the chips to Bayard, who began placing the chips down in front of each of the seated people.

"Therefore, I have detailed these targets for each of you. Hit them as you wish, I have been careful to divide them up so that the spoils from each person's targets would be roughly equal." He held up a hand, "I would ask that you do not divulge your targets to others, wait to trade between yourselves until after the operation. This is for your own benefit."

I nodded slightly as I saw the logic behind it; they might all be on the same side for this fight, but after Serroi was taken down, there was going to be a huge vacuum. If everyone knew each other's targets they would be able to ambush the other's forces after Serroi was dealt with. In this manner, everyone could attack Serroi without nearly as much fear. Of course however that left…

"What about you?" The squat man asked suspiciously, "You know where presumably all of our forces are going to be, what's to stop you from swooping in?"

Cola smiled slightly, "You all know me as a reasonable man." He said mildly, as he traced a finger along the table "A man of logic, of thorough planning and a cautious disposition…" Without warning he clenched his hand into a fist and slammed it down into the table, leaving a crater in the metal.

The entire room simply stared in astonished silence at the man's outburst; Cola slowly lifted his hand from the table and stared at his palm.

"That all stops and ends when Serroi is involved." He said coldly, "Upon your data chips are all of my forces' targets."

Everyone in the room shifted slightly, as they digested this information.

"Allow me to make this absolutely clear," Cola continued, "Serroi and all that he has built dies a bloody death _now_. No matter the cost." His gaze moved around the room, "However," he continued, "Another factor that will prevent any… misunderstandings, is that while our forces are striking these targets."

He pointed to the holographic display, "We shall personally be striking this location. I don't think I need to state just how awkward it would be to find out that anyone was 'swooping in' in the midst of such an operation."

Cola pressed a button and a diagram of Rhinos and the tanks I had seen in the hangar came on screen, "For our use in this assault, we have ten Rhino-class air transports and five Krieger-class battle tanks. Each person here shall receive two of the Rhinos for their use, and one tank, which is to be carried by one of the Rhinos. You may also use the armory on site here for any armament you desire. I expect everyone to be on approach to the rendezvous point in two hours. Are there any questions?"

There was no reply and Cola nodded, "Very well then. Go to Argent and he will give you a transponder that will allow the communication device of your choice to transmit. There's an interference signal that surrounds this facility for quite some distance, and I understand that time is of the essence. Dismissed."

The squat man was the first to get up, his two bodyguards following closely behind as they left the room. The next was Madam Bianca, along with her three companions. Midas was far more leisurely, stopping by to have a whispered conversation with Cola. Whatever the result was, it must have appealed to the businessman, because he smiled broadly and then beckoned his two companions to accompany him and they left the room.

When everyone had left, Kuroi turned to Cola and began to speak when Cola held up a hand. He then jerked his head to the wall and he walked over to it, rapped on it a few times and a keypad appeared. He entered in a code, and the wall opened silently. He then beckoned for us to follow him.

We did so and found ourselves in a small room; Cola walked up and closed the door behind us. He then hit a button and I heard muffled voices emanate from the room we had vacated.

"My apologies, but there are almost certainly bugs," He told us, "The recordings I prepared should fool them." He shrugged, "Just a part of the game when you have five equally paranoid crime bosses all in the same room.

Kuroi grinned mischievously, "One under the table, two on the chair, and one more on brick-house's fat ass."

I lifted an eyebrow and Kuroi shrugged, "What? Cola's right, old habits die hard. I doubt anyone will even be bothering to check them. As for me, I'll flip a coin, more fun that way."

I shook my head and turned back to Cola, "So I recognized most everyone there, but who was 'brickhouse'?" I asked, using Kuroi's nickname for the man.

"Belmorzh Ogromny, a long-time… 'acquaintance' of mine; you may know him better as Belmorzh Zheleznaya." Cola answered.

I blinked, "Wait… Zheleznaya, wasn't that…"

"That was the name Camille used at the masquerade banquet." Neo confirmed.

It then hit me why the man's bodyguards had looked so familiar; Bruce, the bodyguard that had accompanied Camille had looked almost exactly like them, "So… what's the relation?" I asked Cola.

He smiled slightly, "Vulperiana Bianca and Belmorzh Ogromny divorced a decade or so ago." He answered, "Camille is their daughter."

"Huh," I thought about that. With that information, it made sense why Madame Bianca had thrown off her neutrality; if Belmorzh was participating in this operation and he failed, then Camille would be squarely in Serroi's crosshairs.

"Any particular reason that Belmorzh's bodyguards look like they came from a boxed set?" Neo inquired.

Cola nodded, "They have a long-standing relationship with Evergreen Protection Agency, which is a family of mercenaries possessing a bloodline Semblance that is remarkably consistent. I believe the last recorded non-Semblance was twenty years ago."

Kuroi let out a yawn, "Yeah, yeah, whatever, that's all flukey." His gaze suddenly turned serious, "What I came to prick and prod you about is to see whether you are willing to accept my condition."

Cola tapped his chin thoughtfully, "You drive a hard bargain…" He mused.

Kuroi grinned and that familiar, primal air that I had felt at the party began to make my skin prickle and the hairs on my neck stand on end, "So do you, but you know your little shenanigans will go poof if you don't get our support."

Cola's eyes narrowed, "Is that so?"

Kuroi said nothing, and the two stood like that for what seemed like an eternity, like two massive tigers circling one another. Finally Cola extended his hand, breaking the tension, "Agreed." He rumbled.

The Faunus grinned and took the hand, shaking vigorously, "Excellent." He purred, "Well then, I need to go make some calls, ciao!"

Kuroi and Hana turned about and left the room, Cola beckoned to the two of us, and led the way back into the conference room, the door closing shut automatically behind us.

"Come, we should find something to repair your weapon in the armory." Cola led us out of the room and down a series of hallways until we came to a large set of double steel doors.

Cola went up to the keypad and tapped in a code, and the doors opened.

"Wow." I breathed.

"Rowan," Neo said numbly, "Why can't we have one of these?"

Cola smiled, and gestured grandly at the massive room, full to the brim of weapons, contraptions, and explosives of every possible shape and size, stretching on and on until it was practically out of sight.

"Load up," Cola told us, "Just keep in mind that Rhino's do have a maximum weight limit."

I grinned as I walked up to a particularly high-powered rifle and took it off its rack, cradling it in my arms, "Well then, time to put it to the test."


	29. Chapter 29

**Thanks to TehGramerPolise for helping with this chapter.**

* * *

Cola held out a massive hand, "Neopolitan, your umbrella please."

Neopolitan handed the weapon over and Cola opened it up, his eyes widening slightly at the hole, "Hmmm… It appears the Crimson Archer's powers are not exaggerated. I admit, I had been hoping it was merely advertising."

He folded it and laid it on his shoulder, "I shall see about getting this patched up while you browse, it shouldn't take long."

He left, and for the next half an hour, Neo and I went on a bit of a shopping spree, looking among the nearly overwhelming variety of equipment in the armory.

I was examining a case of specialized Dust rounds when I heard someone step up behind me, "Does this gun make me look fat?"

I turned around to see Neo with a massive grin and an even bigger machine gun, belts of ammo wrapped around her chest and arms.

"That depends." I answered.

Neo lifted an eyebrow, "On what?"

"Whether or not it's loaded."

She chuckled and walked over to sit on a crate next to me, "Well that's interesting," She murmured as she looked over my shoulder, "I've never seen that armament notation before."

Before now, neither had I, even now a days, it's fairly rare. As I'm sure those of you familiar with weaponry are aware, Dust rounds are denoted with first the Mistralian symbol denoting what type of Dust is in the round, and then the effective amount of Dust within the round. Fairly simple, these rounds, however were a little different, there was the standard notation stating it was a water Dust round, but then there was a slash, followed by a notation denoting an electrical Dust round.

"What do you think it means?" She asked.

I shrugged, "Only one way to find out," I took out a pistol, slammed the round into the chamber, I sighted towards a training dummy on the far side of the room and fired.

The gun bucked and the round slammed into the target, covering it with a watery foam that dripped onto the floor.

A moment later, there was a sharp crackling and the smell of ozone as lighting surged around the target, leaping and coursing through the foam. It went on for a good five seconds or so before it finally petered out; leaving the target and the ground surrounding it scorched.

"That's neat." I remarked as I gazed at the destruction.

"Absolutely fascinating." Neo breathed as she picked up another one of the rounds, "It's like a self-contained Dust delayed charge." She examined another that had earth and fire etched into it, "Damn that's cool; how did they manage to engineer it so that the rounds are still standard?"

"Very carefully." Cola answered as he emerged from behind some shelves, "And every expensively, if you would please keep testing them to a minimum, my bank accounts would thank you."

"Who manufactures them?" I asked.

"A little known Faunus enclave in Northern Mistral called the Underburrow in South-Eastern Sanus." Cola replied, "Incredibly difficult to get in contact with, even more difficult to gain their trust enough for them to sell to you, and even then at a premium. But their technology has advanced to even beyond that of Solitas in some of their areas of specialty." He gestured to the boxes of rounds, "This happens to be one of them."

I packed a couple of smaller boxes with the rounds, placing them in a case which I snapped shut, "Had you told me that before, I think I would have been skeptical, but after that demonstration, color me convinced."

Cola held out the handle of Neo's umbrella to her, "Here you go Neopolitan, not good as new I'm afraid, but you should find it serviceable.

Neo took the weapon and unfurled it, and her eyebrows quirked up as her hands roamed over a discolored patch in the fabric, "Hmm… how serviceable?"

"It should take normal rounds fine, as well as typical sprays of lightning or fire." Cola replied, "Just be cautious against higher velocity or impact attacks."

"Will do," Neo furled up her weapon and bowed her head, "Thank you."

Cola nodded back and then hesitated, before placing his massive hands on both of our shoulders, "Take care of yourselves," He whispered, "This is going to be beyond anything you've ever faced." His eyes locked onto our eyes intently, "Stay safe."

My heart skipped a beat as naked concern slipped into his tone, but on the outside I simply gave him a confident smile, "Hey, who do you think you're talking to?" I lifted my chin, "I'm Rowan Laisren, son of Ciara and Jett Laisren; I was taught by Kyoko Torikusu and Keara Rysin," I took a deep breath, "And I suppose that I was taught by Serroi Vertimos, taught how to hate, how to take vengeance."

My fists clenched tight, "Now it's the final exam, and I'm ready to ace it."

Cola nodded gravely, patted us both on the shoulders and then turned to leave, "You two have a Rhino to yourselves; talk with Argent, he'll direct you." He paused, "Luck and fortune, may the Brothers smile on you." Then he walked away.

I lifted an eyebrow, that was a mantra from the Order of the Equinox; strange, I had never known Cola was religious.

I was interrupted from my surprise by laughter that grew progressively louder, I turned to see Neo slapping her knee, snorting with laughter, "'And I'm ready to ace it.'" She imitated in a mocking voice, "You really couldn't come up with anything better?"

"What? I thought it was laconically succinct." I replied, slightly wounded.

"That may be, but it was sooo lame."

I flushed slightly, "Fine then, what would you have gone with?"

She shrugged, "I don't know, wordy stuff is your job, remember? Just make sure that you've got some good ones for when we land at that compound…" She reached out and grabbed my hand, "Guns ablazing, kicking ass and taking names," Her other hand clasped mine and her mismatched eyes blazed fiercely, "And most importantly when we reach Serroi, and rip his beating heart from his chest."

"Dust and bones, you're beautiful." I swore.

For what seemed like an eternity, we both sat there, frozen, then Neo's face flushed red and she released my hands like they were burning hot, "Well that would certainly be different and unexpected," She flipped a strand of hair out of her face with the back of her hand, "But I think it might need a little work."

I suddenly found what appeared to be an climbing exo-skeleton hanging on the wall some distance away very engrossing, "Yeah, I think you're right."

Then without warning she leaned in and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek.

When my brain finally started working again, she had already stood up and was standing at the door leading out into the hallway, "You coming?" She asked, her face neutral.

Numbly I nodded, stood up, put my mask back on, Neo put on her helmet, and we walked out of the armory.

* * *

I was incredibly grateful that Neo had a fantastic sense of direction as we walked through the halls back to the hangar; as with the state of mind I was in, I probably would have gotten incredibly lost.

As it was, I was spared from that embarrassment and saved from another as Neo gave me a vicious jab to the elbow to snap me back into reality.

For a moment I nearly panicked, but I managed to recover myself sufficiently to compose myself as I turned around to see Belmorzh walking towards me, his arms spread wide in greeting as his two bodyguards walked behind him.

"Belmorzh Ogromny." I bowed my head slightly, "It's an honor to make your acquaintance."

He clapped one of his hands on my shoulder and I saw Neo stiffen slightly, but I quickly flicked her hand, signalling her to stand down and she relaxed.

Belmorzh laughed, "I am pleased to see that Kuroi's loose manners do not filter down to his associates."

He made a great show of pulling something from his back and showing it to me, in his palm was a small, gray box, "A bug." He remarked and then crushed it, letting the pieces fall slowly to the floor, "Can you believe the man? We're supposed to work together and he has the nerve to pull such petty schemes."

"There are many things I could believe of Kuroi." I replied neutrally.

Belmorzh chuckled at that, "Yes, yes well, you understand…" His beady eyes glanced from side to side, and his bodyguards moved to either end of the hallway, there was a sharp popping sound and I frowned as sound seemed to get strangely flat.

"We may speak freely in this field." Belmorzh told us, "I am going to be blunt, that work you did on the Rashin? Absolutely astounding, a thing of beauty."

"I'm glad that you admire our work." I answered.

If Belmorzh was put off by my continued aloofness, he didn't show it, instead he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small chip. "I don't just admire it," He said, "I want to buy such work."

I lifted an eyebrow, "I'm afraid I'm already contracted with Kuroi."

"Yes well," Belmorzh glanced over us again, "You're not Faunus, correct?"

"We are not." I replied.

"It's just that… Kuroi has sided with a rather… extreme figure in the form of one Sienna Khan." He leaned in, "If anyone needs to take a fall, make no mistake, non-Faunus will be the first on the chopping block."

He jerked his head at the chip, "In my hand here is two hundred million lien, a drain bank account, all totally untraceable. If you work with me, it's all yours, and that's just the retainer fee. Why be part of an organization where you know you're expendable when you could have stability and security with mine?"

"Two hundred million?" I said, my slightly awed tone covering for the hysterical laughter that was threatening to burst out of my chest. That was fairly respectable for an up and coming thief, but Laisren Aerial Manufactory made more than that when I sneezed. "That's rather generous."

"I am a generous employer." Belmorzh replied, "Of course… an additional bonus may be in the offing… depending on just what kind of information you can recall about Kuroi's operations."

I could see Belmorzh carefully watching my reaction, he must have seen something because he abruptly held up his hands in a pacifying gesture, "Of course, you were a rather new addition, and what with you not being a Faunus, it's very well that you could know nothing of importance. I merely make the offer for your own self-benefit."

I nodded, "I thank you for your offer, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to decline." I told him.

The man frowned, "I'm sorry to hear that," He lifted up his fingers and snapped them; the two bodyguards instantly whipped around, heavy blades in their hands.

So that was the dagger hidden in the cloth then, I thought, even as I did so, I was already moving in tandem with Neo. I swung Melodic Cudgel at the large man, only to have it be blocked by a meaty forearm. With unreal strength he flung it outward, sending me staggering backwards.

However, in doing so, he had left himself open, Neo's umbrella moved impossibly quick, stabbing into Belmorzh, hitting solidly against his Aura shell.

The man grunted and retreated backwards before the assault, allowing me time to recover. The two bodyguards were closing in fast though, maybe if I-

Suddenly there were two muted gunshots, and full sound rushed back into existence. Everyone froze and turned seemingly as one towards the source.

Bayard was standing there, a pair of guns in his hands as he arched a single eyebrow at the scene, "Is there a problem here?" He asked quietly.

Belmorzh glared down at Neo and I, "No, there isn't."

"Mr. Torchwick?" Bayard asked.

Thankfully, I realized quickly that he was talking to me, "No problem at all." I answered, keeping a calm, cool gaze on the man.

Belmorzh jerked his head angrily at his two bodyguards, and they walked down the hallway and out of sight.

Bayard let out a slow sigh, and was about to speak when I held up a hand. Quickly, my hand shot to my shoulder where Belmorzh had patted me, sure enough, hidden there was a small, gray box. I shook my head in disgust and threw it to the ground, where I stamped on it and ground it into dust.

"What an amateur," I grumbled, "He shouldn't have mentioned bugs at all, but especially right when he was planting it on me."

Bayard smiled slightly, "If it was Cola, or even Kuroi, I would say it was a test, but I admit, I am less… genial, towards that man."

"I admit, I'm a little bewildered." Neo said, "Was he really going to try and kill us?"

Bayard holstered his weapons, "Unlikely, he probably would either have kidnapped you, or beaten you senseless as an insult to Kuroi. Even so, it was reckless to do it under Cola's supervision, I admit, I don't know why he would test him like that."

There was something in Bayard's tone that didn't quite ring true, but I chose not to pursue it, "Alright then, thanks for the assistance Bayard, but we'll be getting to the hangar now.'"

Bayard smiled and bowed slightly, "My pleasure, and stay safe you two."

"Hey, it's us." Neo replied.

Bayard lifted an eyebrow, "I believe that's why I'm worried."

* * *

We arrived in the hangar, where Argent was in the middle of directing a myriad of operations, "Load those armaments into Bravo 2." He commanded one of the crewman, "They've requested heavy caliber rounds for those rifles of theirs."

The crewman saluted and began barking orders at his companions, and the silver-haired man turned back to me, "Mr. Torchwick," He greeted me, "Cola designated Zeta 1 to you and your partner, you should find it quite comfortable."

I nodded my thanks and we moved over to the indicated Rhino, once we had loaded in all of the new toys we had acquired; I turned towards Neo with a grin.

She took off her helmet and grinned in reply as she pulled out the chip that Belmorzh had been waving in front of us, "Easiest lien of my life." She said.

"Nice, but what about the other one?" I asked her.

She grinned and unfurled her umbrella, with a couple sharp taps on the discolored patch; she revealed a small, black chip that she handed to me.

"Damn that was clever." I commented as she did so, "Anyone who saw that exchange would have been watching the whole time as he patted our shoulders and all of that. Odds are good they would have forgotten all about the umbrella."

"Never let it be said that Cola's not an opportunist." Neo agreed.

I plugged the chip into my scroll and a line of text appeared on the screen, "First of all, I would ask that you read none of this aloud." It read, "That would rather defeat the purpose of making this a text based message."

Neo mimed reading off the page, and then quickly covering her mouth in mock horror, causing me to chuckle slightly.

"Now that you're done inevitably goofing around," The message continued, "I have a request to make of you two that will require your particular specialties."

A series of blueprints began running across the screen, "I'm afraid I wasn't particularly honest about my knowledge of Serroi's headquarters." The message admitted, "This operation is too important to risk having a traitor within our ranks. I am hoping that through my apparent reckless desire to destroy Serroi and professed lack of knowledge will have any such traitors believe that I am conducting a full frontal assault. Making them totally unprepared for what I am proposing."

The screen showed a seriously powerful fortress, heavily reinforced, winding passageways, but dominating all of that, were a series of six anti-aircraft guns.

"Holy hell." I murmured, Rhinos may be tough airships, but these things were powered by multiple generators, and according to specs would be hurling some pretty heavy ordinance. At least a few of the Rhinos would be lost before they reached the facility.

"I am sure that you of all people understand the situation." The message continued, "I want you two to take out the guns by any means you deem necessary. By having Bayard observe weather patterns, we have managed to predict a blind spot that will last about ten minutes."

The blueprints zoomed in on a rocky area on the northwest corner of the fortress, "This area right here, there is a small climb and a large chasm in your path to the fortress, but it will be the safest path."

The blueprints closed out, "Of course," The message continued, "I could be wrong, they could be entirely ready for you, the blind spot might not occur, there are thousands of things that could go wrong, but if it is not done, then we are going to take losses landing our forces. Should you choose not to accept it, I will not think any less of either of you. If you choose to accept it, simply take off once you're done reading this message. If you choose not to, then simply wait for the rest of our forces to assemble and depart with them, the choice is yours."

The screen blanked out, leaving the blueprints to be accessed. I tapped on the screen, and then turned to the controls and activated the launch sequence.

"What, you're not going to even ask me?" Neo demanded.

I lifted an eyebrow and turned to her, "I mean… are you going to say no?"

She snorted, "Of course not, I just want to say it."

I smiled, "Go ahead."

She grinned and placed a hand over mine, "Let's do this."


	30. Chapter 30

The inside of the airship was silent as I studied the blueprints of Serroi's base that Cola had included in the message. Beside me, Neo flew the Rhino, her eyes on the alert.

The blueprints themselves were rather extensive, with notes detailing vantage points, chokepoints, even the materials used for construction. A part of me wondered just how long Cola had spent gathering this information; marveling at how he had waited so patiently until he could ensure one decisive blow.

Then there was the matter of the weather patterns, which were also included, and to my absolute astonishment, every time I checked the radar, every single little pixel was spot on with the predictions.

"This is incredible." I muttered, "I always knew that Bayard's Semblance allowed him to extrapolate out trajectories and movement, but I never realized that it could be utilized like this."

"Hopefully Serroi thinks the same way," Neo responded, her eyes glancing out the windows, "Still, the idea is that there's going to be a storm soon right?"

I nodded and pulled up the timeline, "In five minutes; it's gonna be a big one, but the Rhino should be able to take it just fine."

"It's just that," Neo waved her hand around us at the serenely peaceful sky, "I'm not seeing it; and we're gonna be in range of long-range sensors pretty soon."

I examined the map, "We're going to have a one-minute window," I told her, "After that, we'll be in range, if the storm hasn't shown up by then, we're going to be one hell of a sore thumb."

"Oh, brilliant." Neo muttered, "Remind me again why we can't stop just outside of range."

"Rhinos are many things, but they're not fast." I responded, "We need to be at a certain sweet spot in the storm in order to have their sensors be blinded. If we stop, we're not going to be able to accelerate fast enough to catch that sweet spot and-"

"And if we didn't take the Rhino, then the storm would tear us apart or make it impossible to land where we need to." She finished for me; then she got out of her chair and gestured towards the controls.

I nodded and we swapped places, strapping ourselves in. I was a better pilot than Neo, not by much; but we were going to need every edge we could get. if the storm showed up then we were going to be parking on a landing area practically the size of a dinner plate in the middle of it. If it didn't show up, we were gonna have to book it and potentially fight our way out.

"One minute until the storm," Neo stated calmly.

I took a deep breath, my eyes watching the seemingly innocuous clouds that surrounded us, in Solitas, freak blizzard storms weren't unheard of, but even experts often couldn't predict one until it was practically already happening. Now, using Bayard's Semblance, we were trying to predict one hours ahead of time.

"We're in the window, fifty seconds until we're in range."

My heart leapt into my throat as my eyes shot around us, desperately watching every shift of the clouds, hoping for the darkening and swirling that would indicate the start of a storm.

"Thirty seconds." Neo said.

Finally, I saw it, the tell-tale dark swirl of clouds that would indicate a storm, however…

"Neo." I barked

"I see it." Neo said calmly as she began tracing her finger across the screen.

The storm was forming, and with some time to spare, but it had shifted, which meant we were going to have to change our trajectory and fast.

"40 degrees, descend two hundred meters!" Neo commanded.

I instantly obeyed, slamming down the controls and diving towards the clouds.

That's when the entire world outside the windows became a white, howling whirlwind.

The Rhino bucked and kicked as I wrestled with the controls, trying to stay on target.

"Adjustment: Gradual turn 330 degrees, ascend three hundred meters."

I let out a growl as the controls shook and tried to twist themselves out of my grip; with all of my strength, I wrestled them, forcing the airship to obey.

"You're going to have to dive at the landing site." Neo said calmly.

I blinked and my head spun towards her, "Are you serious? At this speed in a Rhino? We're a rock with wings!"

"It's the only way we're going to be able to stay in the blind spot, the storm's dissipating faster than expected." She replied calmly, "15 seconds."

I turned back to the controls, taking deep, calming breaths.

"10 seconds."

My grip tightened on the controls, and I suddenly wondered if it was an experience like this that had turned Cola religious.

"5...4...3...2...1...Go!"

Time seemed to expand and slow as I jerked the controls, sending us screaming towards the ground. The craft bucked and kicked, our instruments going wild as the storm raged around us. Oh joy, I was going to have to eyeball this.

"Vent the anti-gravity Dust on my mark!" I shouted at Neo, and her hands flew across the control panel.

We could barely see a hand's length out the front viewport, the snow coming thick and fast, but then a feeling in my gut screamed at me.

"Do it!" I yelled.

There was an explosive _whoosh_ and we were nearly shot up and out of our seats as the craft practically jumped up, halting our downward momentum. At the same time, I pulled us up out of the dive, leveling us out.

There was an immense crash and Neo and I jerked around helplessly in our harnesses as we collided with the ground. There was a screech of metal against stone as the Rhino's momentum sent the craft flying forward.

Then we stopped all at once as there was another massive collision and a sheet of gray stone filled our viewport.

Finally, everything went still, the howling wind slowly dying down into silence.

For a long moment, Neo and I sat slumped in our seats, staring at the ceiling of the airship.

"Are we alive?" Neo groaned.

"I think so." I replied.

She lifted up a finger and twirled it around, "Yippee."

* * *

Amazingly, most of our equipment had survived most of the flight, so we gathered it all up and exitted the craft.

"Damn." Neo muttered as we saw the exterior of the craft.

The Rhino had been totalled, its nose was caved in, one of its wings had snapped in half, and there were gashes everywhere in its armor.

"You know what's hilarious? Even in this state, it technically passes inspection."

Neo lifted an eyebrow, "What, you mean under the specs you can put, 'can survive half-rate pilot crashing it into a mountainside.'"

"Oh c'mon," I protested, "Three-quarters rate at least."

"Five-eighth." She countered as we turned from the craft and began walking.

"Seven-eighth."

" Six-eighth."

I grinned, "Glad you agree."

She worked it out and then sighed slightly in defeat, "Fine, three-quarter it is."

We stopped as we reached the end of the climb, "That looked a lot smaller on the map." I muttered.

In front of us was a massive chasm, Thirty Bullheads could go end to end and still not make it across.

"How do you want to do this?" Neo asked.

I frowned as I examined the terrain, then dropped my bag and rifled through it, "Easy enough, I came prepared." I pulled out the climbing exoskeleton I had grabbed from the armory and began strapping it on.

"This suit has hydraulic grapple guns in the wrists," I explained as I tossed Neo one as well.

She caught it and then examined the wrists, "Um, right, but this range is too short."

I grinned, "Right, that's where you come in."

She bit her lip as she looked at our equipment bags, "That's a lot of weight, it'll take a lot out of me to get all the way across the chasm."

"That's why we have the grapple guns," I answered, "Just jump us within their range and we can let them do the rest."

She took a deep breath, "Alright, sounds good." She got into her exosuit… which hung on her like a five year old in their mother's dress.

"You're laughing at me." She muttered darkly.

"Am not," I protested as I fought mightily to keep a straight face.

"You might as well let it out now so that you can concentrate." She told me.

I shook my head, "I'm good, I swear."

She rolled her eyes as she picked up her bag and gestured for me to grab onto her shoulder.

I sobered up and clapped her on the shoulder, "Whenever you're ready." I told her.

She took two deep breaths, gazing across the chasm, then she nodded and the two of us began running forward as one. When we reached the ledge we leapt forward, hanging perilously over the abyss.

There was a feeling of displacement and the next moment we were hanging in the air far closer to the other side. I sighted towards a large rocky outcropping and fired both grappling guns.

They dug in, the lines going taut as we swung towards the cliff face. Thinking fast, I yanked out Melodic Cudgel, loaded in an air Dust round and fired. The trick worked, jerking me backward, and slowing me enough that I didn't break my legs upon landing.

Beside me, Neo grinned at me as she gracefully landed beside me, using her umbrella to slow her momentum.

"Showoff." I muttered.

She opened her mouth to reply when there was a loud roar; the two of us looked down to see an Ursa Major, its red beady eyes fixed on us.

It lifted its paws and slammed them into the rock, lifting itself up, and then began making its way slowly towards us.

"Huh, well that's interesting," Neo remarked, her voice tight.

I followed her gaze and my eyes widened as several more Grimm began crawling out of caves in the sides of the chasm and climbing upwards.

"Go, go, go!" I shouted, activating the grapple guns' hydraulic winches.

We made our way gradually up the cliff face, using natural handholds when possible to go faster. The Grimm steadily gained ground behind us; despite the fact that more than once I fired explosive rounds from Melodic Cudgel to blow a few of the monsters loose, sending them roaring into the seemingly bottomless pit below us.

Finally, we made it to the lip of the chasm, scrambling onto solid ground once more.

"So something occurs to me." Neo said as the two of us caught our breath.

"What's that?" I asked.

"If there are Grimm here, the base is going to have ground sensors."

"Right." I replied.

"So those will probably be easy to avoid, they're set up for Grimm after all." She looked back at the chasm, "But not so much if a bunch of Grimm are following us."

I sighed as I stood up, brushing the snow off my pants, "I think I see where you're going with this."

She grinned, "I guess there's a first time for everything."

That's when the first Grimm, a Beowolf, clawed its way over the edge and threw itself at us with a roar.

* * *

The first thing that anyone will tell you about fights against Grimm is that at first it feels more like trying to plug a leak more than anything else. It's almost inevitable that the smaller, weaker Grimm get to the fight first, and they're all ferocity. No brains, no tactics, just sheer numbers, and you'd be surprised at how few people actually ever die at this part, so long as they keep their cool.

Then, there's the first real danger, when the older, more experienced Grimm first arrive. This is where the first casualties usually result, you'll be fighting a bunch of young Beowolves, just keeping up a steady rhythm as you either blast or cut them all down. Then suddenly something rushes at you from your blind spot, using their brethren as a distraction.

In our case, it was about three Beowolf Alphas that all came in from different directions, I had just beaten down two normal Beowolves, when Neo suddenly jumped behind me, "Shoulders!" She shouted.

I instantly went down into a squat, and she jumped nimbly up on my shoulders I heard a heavy _thunk_ and a whimper as she stabbed her blade into something behind me.

"Up!" She commanded and I shot to my feet, at the same time she jumped up, launching herself up and forward..

I turned around in time to see Neo landing on the back of the second of a pair of Beowolf Alphas, the first already disintegrating on the ground. She stabbed her blade into the monster's neck and it let out a howl of pain. She then leapt off of it as it fell to the ground, landing in a crouch. The third Alpha Beowolf roaring as it stood above her, lifting a large claw overhead.

Melodic Cudgel snapped up practically of its own volition and the explosive round that I sent into its face made it stumble backwards; buying enough time for Neo to surge upwards and stab her weapon through the Grimm's chin and into its head.

The Beowolf Alpha stood still for a moment, then Neo yanked out her blade with a flourish and it collapsed bodily to the ground.

"Nice." She commented.

That's when the most dangerous part of a Grimm attack occurred, the part where even Huntsmen are hard pressed. Because with every group of Grimm, there's always one that's bigger and meaner than all the rest.

There was a pair of roars that shook the ground and both of us turned to see a Rougarou.

Rougarou are like if you put Beowolves on steroids, slapped on another pair of arms, then another head, and then slapped a massive rat tail on the thing, then put that on steroids.

Kind of awesome, but also really terrifying.

If you've never heard of them, that's because every government in Remnant has claimed repeatedly that they've wiped all of them out. Of course, that doesn't stop a few from showing up out of the blue every now and then and causing havoc. If you want to have some fun in Vale, ask your local magistrate about them and watch them squirm, because while official policy is to not talk about Grimm that are on the 'Extinct List', they always seem to pop up right before the ten year deadline where they don't have to tell you about them if you ask.

"Oh Dust and bones." I swore as the Grimm stomped up, its tail whipping wildly behind it, both pairs of jaws slavering.

"Plan?" Neo asked.

"Uh…" My mind worked into overtime, desperately shoving away the part of me that was simply blabbering 'big' and 'scary'. Then my eyes fell upon a massive stone spire that was standing precariously close to the edge of the chasm, "Alright, give me your exosuit. Then keep it distracted."

To her credit, she didn't waste time asking questions, within seconds, I was holding both exosuits and Neo had charged at the Rougarou, narrowly avoiding its arms as they swung around in great, sweeping arcs.

I slammed away a Beowolf as I ran towards the stone spire, I strapped both of the exoskeletons onto the spire, then backed off and pulled out the gun from the armory with the Faunus rounds.

I fired two shots at each of the exoskeletons, and the binding foam exploded over them; although I took care to leave the arms clear. I winced as the electricity washed over the suits, but when it had cleared, the two suits were stuck firmly to the rock.

Glancing occasionally as Neo continued to evade the creature's attacks, I set up a couple of explosive Dust charges at the base of the spire, careful once more to make sure that the exoskeletons themselves wouldn't be harmed.

That's when I heard a short cry and my heart fell into my stomach. I whirled around to see Neo slumped up against a wall, the Rougarou screaming in triumph as it began to advance towards her.

A white-hot rage boiled through me and I let out a shout as I ran towards the Grimm.

To this day, I don't know whether it was that sound or the emotion that was coming off of me in waves, but the Grimm actually turned around. Its red eyes narrowing and jaws opening as it began to lope its way towards me.

Lifting the gun, I aimed and fired a shot right into one of the creature's open mouths. Its eyes widened almost comically as the foam filled it and then it let out a roar of pain and rage as electricity coursed through it.

The creature's cunning shone through now, as its upper arms lifted, covering its face as it advanced, spoiling any chance at another shot. However, this cautious approach meant that it slowed down, giving me precious time as I ran back to the spire and lifted the gauntlets of the exoskeletons.

As the beast approached, I fired the grappling hooks, sending both pairs into the creature's legs.

The Rougarou let out a roar and its pace quickened, leaving me with mere moments to close my eyes and activate the explosive Dust.

I was sent flying, skidding along the ground, my entire world spun as I tried desperately to sit up.

The Rougarou turned and roared at me, and took a single step, but was brought up short, then dragged backwards as the spire slowly cracked and fell into the chasm. Its immense weight dragging the Grimm behind it.

The monster screamed as it fell down into the abyss, there was the sound of shattering stone, and then there was silence. Breathing hard, I finally managed to recover enough to get to my feet, Melodic Cudgel ready in my hand; but either we had destroyed all of the Grimm or they had retreated upon seeing the Rougarou's demise.

"Not bad," Neo commented as she walked up beside me.

"I thought taking care… of stuff like that… was your job." I managed in between pants.

She grinned and slapped me on the back, "What? I need to let you in on the fun sometimes."

I smiled weakly at that, and then turned towards her, "You okay?"

She grimaced and rolled her shoulder, "Yeah, I'm fine, just a lucky hit on its part."

I nodded at that and then grimaced as I turned back to the chasm, "We're gonna have to get creative getting into the fortress without those exoskeletons."

"Just how I like it." Neo replied, "We'll figure something out, we always do."

I took a deep breath and turned away from the chasm, "Come on, let's get going."


	31. Chapter 31

**Thanks to TehGramerPolise for helping with this chapter.**

* * *

Cornell sighed heavily as he bundled up against the cold his gaze directed down at the supply trucks entering through the fortress gate. Normally he preferred to avoid any kind of work, but he would give just about anything to be on the ground and unloading the trucks. Much rather that than be up here in one of the six guard towers that stood atop the high walls, exposed to the biting northern winds of Solitas.

His companion in misery, Carmine, appeared to be having similar thoughts, "Lucky bastards." He groused.

Cornell grunted his agreement, "Wonder what's come in this time?"

"I hope something heavy," Carmine said darkly, "Maybe ammunition or more stone for the walls."

Cornell's mouth quirked up into a small smile, as he checked his wristwatch idly, "Just forty minutes more up here, then what say you we take a gander while we're on break?"

Carmine's eyes glinted maliciously as he grinned, "Of course, I bet they could use some encouragement, some words to keep them going."

Cornell opened his mouth to reply when he felt a hot, burning sensation at his throat, and suddenly he felt an overwhelming exhaustion fall over him. He was only dimly aware as he fell to his knees. Carmine was already sprawled out onto the ground; he shouldn't do that, Serroi's orders regarding sleeping on guard duty was execution.

"Hey, get up." Cornell slurred, then his world went dark forever.

* * *

Neo and I moved fast, picking up the bodies of the two guards and setting them upright, propping them up slightly on the wall. Neo knelt out of sight of the window and lowered her head in concentration as I opened up a set of lockers that were on the far side of the room.

"Ready." I told her.

I heard her take a deep breath and the next moment she was beside me with the two guards in tow, leaving the mirror image of the two guards slouching in sight, while her own figure was out of view.

"Looks good?" Neo asked.

I cocked my head, "You know, I think the one on the right needs to be a _little_ closer… maybe put up some nice, red curtains for the backdrop?"

Neo snorted as I helped her heave the bodies into the lockers, "After that safe house, I'm never letting you ruin another room with your interior design."

"I assure you that I have done much research on the subject." I sniffed as I pulled out a pair of binoculars to begin to survey the compound, "With a view out onto the snow, you need a bold color, red is bold."

Behind me Neo made a doubtful noise, along with a small beep as she pulled out her scroll.

"230 degrees of us is a clear shot to the wall." I told her, "We'll jump through there and get into the ventilation system."

"I've got a path for when we get into the ventilation system." She replied as I put up the binoculars.

She stepped up beside me and I put my hand on her shoulder, my other hand full of metal filings, "Go for it." I told her. I heard her let out a breath and as I felt the feeling of displacement I tossed the filings up into the air.

* * *

We materialized on the ground some distance away from the tower behind a small concrete shed, our after image shattering in the tower as the metal filings fell upon the image, while the images of the two guards still stood tall.

While the after-images typically didn't last long if Neo didn't maintain them, the metal filings meant that there was a much reduced chance that a casual observer would see two mysterious people in the guard tower. It was absolutely vital that the fortress remained unaware of our presence for as long as possible; every little deception had to count.

Beside me, Neo took a couple of deep breaths, "One more, then we'll be at the wall," She told me.

I nodded and once again threw up the filings as we disappeared.

Once we materialized we both crouched down, "You got the range?" I asked her.

She nodded and took a series of deep breaths and I felt the feeling of familiar feeling of displacement.

When we were solid once more, we were right square in the middle of a large ventilation shaft. I grinned and gave Neo a thumbs up, which she returned, both of us aware that any noise we made would echo through the vents.

Neo moved up in front to lead, pulling out her scroll as she did so.

* * *

The next few minutes were spent making our way through the vents, trying our best to keep noise to a minimum; all the while listening for the sound of alarms that would inform us that the guards we had killed had been found.

However, no such noise came, and we arrived at the vent overlooking the camera control room with no incidents. Inside were three guards, all looking bored out of their skulls as they casually flipped through video feeds.

Neo turned to me and quickly gestured to the two furthest from the vent, then pointed to me, and then the final guard.

I gave her a quick thumbs up and we both leapt forward out of the vents.

"How many times do I have to tell you? It's your strong arm on the head, weak arm under the chin, then you twist up and to the side," Neo said as I rapidly input a series of commands into the computer controlling the cameras.

I scowled, "I'm busy most of the time, it's not like I get to practice how to break people's necks all that often."

Neo thought about that as she gazed down at the fallen guards, "You know what? I'm going to get you a dummy, that way whenever you get a call that's frustrating you, you can practice; catharsis, stress relief, and training mixed into one."

I raised an eyebrow, "Tell you what, sure, as long as we agree to never mention this ever again."

"What?" She asked innocently, "About how you wrestled around with the guard for at least half-a-minute after you succeeded in giving him a huge crick in his neck?"

I turned to glare at her, to which she merely replied with wide, mismatched puppy dog eyes.

"Yes," I growled, "That." I turned back to the console and input the final commands, connection port opened up and I plugged in my scroll. A few seconds later and the camera patch was installed and I unplugged my scroll, putting it back in my pocket.

As usual, Hoku had done fine work, rather than just simply loop a few seconds on repeat, the cameras would actually replay old footage to themselves on a new timestamp; meaning that it would take much more than a casual observer to notice that something was wrong. In the program was even facial recognition software that if a camera close to the control room spotted someone, it could switch the identity of the person in the camera feed in an effort to prevent someone seeing themselves in the footage.

I turned away from the computer and nodded to Neo, "Alright, we're covered, let's get to the anti-airship guns."

She nodded and I put my hand on her shoulder, and the next moment we were back in the vents.

* * *

The guns themselves were established in three major batteries of six guns each; all of which had a 360 degree coverage. This meant that while each one we took out would be a third of the firepower that couldn't be used against Cola's force; it also meant that in order to guarantee a safer landing, we would need to take out all three. Hence why we had taken such pains to remain undetected.

We arrived in the vents overlooking the first of the batteries and took in the sight. The guns themselves were massive, easily the size of four Bullheads. Each were situated on a massive platform that had a myriad of gears that would rotate and shift to allow them to aim at any angle.

Standing around were also four guards, each standing at a corner of the room so that their line of sight covered each other.

Neo glanced at me and I thought about it for a moment, finally I pulled out Melodic Cudgel and made a fist then opened and closed it twice; before pointing at three of the guards, then pointed at myself, and then the guard closest to us.

I could see Neo take several, deep breaths before nodding and looking away from the room. I selected the appropriate Dust crystal, loaded it into the chamber, then thumped her on the back as I kicked the vent cover off and pulled the trigger, twisting my face away as I did so.

The Dust round hung in the air for the briefest of seconds, and then there was a flash of blinding light, the start of screams could be heard when they were suddenly cut off as a strange pressure suddenly ballooned in the room. As this happened, I was dropping through the vent, landing lightly on my feet and rushing the guard I had assigned for myself.

It was a fairly large man, probably ex Atlesian military, and he must have been more alert than most, because it looked like he had just barely been able to look away from the flash bang. His gun was already lifting and his eyes narrowed at me as his mouth opened in a snarl.

That's when the second flash went off, causing dark spots to flicker on the corner of my vision as blinding light washed over my back and around to my peripheral vision.

The upshot of this is that the guard let out a howl as the light burned into his retinas, causing his gun to drop.

He never got a chance to recover as I slammed Melodic Cudgel into the upside of his head, knocking him to the ground. As he fell I slammed my shoe down onto his throat, causing him to spasm wildly, choked gasps coming out of his mouth.

I reached down to the man's belt, pulled out the knife that was sheathed there and in one smooth motion, slammed it blade first into his heart.

The man jerked once, then let out a long, slow sigh before falling still.

I turned around to see Neo just finishing off the last of her guards, and she whirled around to me. She quickly surveyed the situation, then nodded in acknowledgement before picking up the bodies.

I let her begin taking care of the remains while I made my way to the gun, and that, dear reader is where the first part of this so far absolutely flawless plan began to go south.

When I reached the gun, I stood still for a few seconds, then swore loudly.

"What is it?" Neo asked me.

"The guns, they're not the same model as in the plans." I replied.

Neo let out a small hiss of frustration, but was too professional to pause in her grisly task as she began hiding the bodies into the barrels of the anti-airship guns, washing away the blood with a special foam Dust crystal.

I opened up the panel and my mind practically boggled at the mass of wires and systems that I saw there. A suspicion began forming in my mind and I cursed as it was confirmed, "There's at least three redundant systems here, as well as some that I think are outright fake." I told her.

"Why in the world would they design it like tha-" Then Neo paused, "Of course, to stop exactly this kind of sabotage."

I didn't reply as I began meticulously working through the systems, damn it, at least one of the wires was connected to something that looked suspiciously like an alarm box; this was going to take a lot more time than I had anticipated. At any moment, any one of our tracks was going to be uncovered and this would undoubtedly be one of the first places they would check.

My fingers raced almost as fast as my mind as I completed sabotaging the first gun, slamming the panel back into place. We had discussed back on the airship how we would disable the guns. While simply blowing them up had been appealing, there were three batteries to take out, which meant that for maximum efficiency we would have to place charges at all of them before we detonated them. That of course led to the problem that there were three batteries and two of us, one of them wouldn't be covered, which meant that there was a chance that the charges were discovered.

Therefore, we had decided that it would be better if I were to use my expertise to sabotage the guns, making it so that they simply wouldn't work when fired. That of course, had been assuming that they were the models that I had studied on the airship, and also that their inner workings had been deliberately overcomplicated to prevent, or at least to slow down such sabotage.

I cursed again as I opened the panel to the second gun, of course it wasn't universal, that would have been too easy. The wires and control circuits were just as alien to me as when I had seen the first one.

A single drop of sweat made its way down my brow as I began working, this was going too slow, at this rate, I was going to struggle to sabotage even this first gun battery.

Cola was depending on us, had entrusted this task to us. Therefore he had bet not only just one of his most cherished goals, but also potentially his very life on our success.

To fail was not an option, but our options that would mean our success were almost non-existent.

Which meant we would have to take a risk.

I finished my work on the second gun and moved to the third, opening the panel, "Neo." I barked.

She listened attentively as I explained my idea, and when I was finished, she simply stood there for a moment.

"That plan." She said slowly, "Is almost as bad as your idea of interior design."

"You've got a better one?" I challenged.

Neo was silent then, "No…" She sighed, "No I doubt, but this can't be the answer. It's too dangerous."

"Every moment you spend here arguing with me decreases the chance of its success and therefore the more dangerous it becomes." I replied evenly, "So either come up with another plan or get moving."

She hesitated, then stamped her foot before running off and then disappearing with her Semblance.

* * *

It had been maybe ten minutes since Neo left when I finally reached the last gun. The fifth one had nearly made me blow a blood vessel as literally half the damn wires had been connected to an alarm; with some of the other half sneakily wound in such that cutting or messing with them would also have resulted in those alarm wires being tripped.

I was vaguely aware of Neo's still form, looking down on me from the vents above as I worked. She hadn't liked the idea of me as bait, but it had been our only option; now we would see if it paid off.

It was just as I was working my hand along a set of wires from the Dust chamber that I heard the scuffing of something against the floor. I tried to turn with Melodic Cudgel, but I was way too slow, and something slammed into me like a truck, pinning my back against the gun by my throat.

"So," A woman's voice purred, "Looks like we found our little intruder."

My vision slowly came back into focus and my eyes widened as I recognized the white hair and heavy fur coat from that night so long ago, "Scarlett Sedena, how utterly unpleasant to see you again." I remarked.

Her red eyes widened slightly and her mouth twisted into a smile, "Oooo, have we met somewhere? Did I carve up someone you knew?"

I felt a writhing pit of fury begin uncoiling deep within my soul as the memories of that horrific night came flooding back, "As a matter of fact you did." I answered coldly, "You are going to pay dearly for that."

I let out a sharp gasp as the right side of my face seared with pain, my mask flying off as a knife stabbed up to tear it off, leaving a bloody gash across my flesh.

Scarlett froze for a moment, her face fixed in disbelief, then she started howling with laughter, "Oh! Oh! This is _too_ precious!" Her red eyes met mine, a savage excitement shining from them, "Cola was willing to sacrifice _you_ for this little suicide mission? That means…" Her eyes narrowed slyly, "That your adorable little sidekick is here too, hmm?"

I tried my best to keep my gaze from wandering where Neo's face was staring down at us, her suit's armored helmet obscuring her face.

The crazed woman leaned in closer, "Oh don't be so coy." She whispered into my ear, each word dripping with venom, "We already know where she is, and if you don't watch carefully you'll miss your last chance to say goodbye." She turned my head ever so slightly and my eyes widened as I saw a crouched figure with a fully drawn bow, the Crimson Archer; his weapon aimed squarely at-

I tried to shout, but the iron grip around my throat tightened like a vise and I merely choked out a weak sound of protest.

"Awww, looks like that's all you'll get." The woman gave the tiniest of nods.

The bow loosed with a _twang_ like thunder and I watched helplessly as the arrow streaked toward Neo, the moment freezing in time as it went straight for her throat. With eyes bulging with agony I watched the projectile tear straight through the armor like it was tissue paper…

Then the after-image shattered, the arrow cleaving through the vent and into the stone ceiling.

"What?!" Scarlett gasped, her eyes desperately searching around the room.

That's when I pressed the button on the detonator I had been holding and the whole world shattered.


	32. Chapter 32

**Thanks to TehGramerPolise for helping with this chapter and for putting up with the multiple re-writes**

* * *

Let's pop back in time a little, shall we?

Our plan, as it was, went something like this. Our fundamental problem is that we only had so much time to disable the anti-airship guns before somebody discovered that something was amiss. Of the two of us, I was the only one who had enough expertise to actually sabotage the guns, and the issue with simply blowing them up at first was going to be the fact that we would have to leave one battery unattended.

However, a far more serious problem arose once we found out that the model of the gun was different from the one we were expecting. Such that, not only was the sabotage going to take far longer, but the explosives would need to be shaped in order to effectively knock out the gun. Which meant that even that method would take more time than we were expecting. The odds of discovery and thus, failure were far too high if we went with our original plan.

So as usual, I had come up with a masterful plan.

Step one: Neo would leave an after image in the vent, a fairly well-concealed, but also a hopelessly predictable vantage point. I would continue to work on sabotaging the guns.

Step two: Neo heads back to the camera room and adjusts the camera patch in such a way that after five minutes, the cameras observing my room (the first gun battery) would very obviously have a standard camera patch. Complete with seemingly random flickering and jumps.

Step three: I set a charge to disable the last gun in the first gun battery before heading back to sabotage the other guns in the battery the hard, sneaky way. Meanwhile, Neo heads over to the second and third batteries to begin planting charges, giving me a signal when she's done with the second battery and wiring it to the detonator in my possession. She then moves on and takes out the third battery herself.

The end result of this is as follows: if no one notices something's wrong, great; we get to simply sabotage the first gun battery and knock the other two out of action. However, if Serroi's people realized someone had snuck in, then they would head to the camera room, see the fairly blatant patch, reset those cameras and clear it. In doing so, they would see me furiously working at sabotaging the guns, and of course, since all of the other cameras seem normal and the battery I'm on is closest to the camera room; they'd assume that we had only sabotaged that one battery.

Now of course, they could set off a bunch of alarms, but that would also alert me that I had been discovered and give me an opportunity to escape. Therefore, it would be far better to simply send some heavy hitters to deal with me while quietly preparing the rest of the base for an attack.

The heavy hitters arrive, are suspicious because I'm so exposed, so they look around, find the person who appears to be on overwatch (which is actually Neo's afterimage) and then strike. Of course, the trick is that by then Neo had given me the signal that she had placed the charges at the second battery and one of those heavy hitters was uncomfortably close to the explosives that I had placed to knock out the last gun in the first battery.

Push the button.

Boom.

Perfection.

There, now we're all caught up.

* * *

When I had blinked the stars out of my eyes I found myself lying on the floor. Instantly, I began rolling to the side; less than a split-second later, an arrow ripped through the air and into the stone floor. I leapt to my feet, Melodic Cudgel in my hand and dove behind one of the guns. All of that other stuff I had been talking about before? That was the easy part. The hard part was now surviving the two heavy hitters that had been sent to thwart my plans and kill me until Neo could disable the third gun battery.

To that end, I loaded up a flash bang round into Melodic Cudgel, pointed it up and pulled the trigger, slamming my eyes shut and making sure to leave my mouth slightly open to offset the concussive force that would otherwise blast my ears out.

The noise from the blast still left my ears ringing, and spots spun across my eyes as I opened them. However, Scarlett Sedena, who appeared to have been maybe a couple of steps from me with a wicked looking knife in her hand, was far worse off. She staggered from side to side and her eyes rolled around as she tried to to focus them on me.

I didn't stick around to wait that long, instead opting to dash across the room, weaving from side to side. Several arrows flew, but fortunately the round seemed to have done the trick, as they came nowhere close to hitting me as I ran out of the room. I was by no means a slouch when it came to fighting, but if I remained in that situation I would be dead before Neo even took out the third gun battery.

The first gun battery was at the opposite end of the facility from the third, with the second being in the middle. Therefore the current plan was to buy time, but to also get closer to Neo so that when she took out the third gun battery, it would take less time for her to reach me.

I had just turned the corner and started running down a long hallway when I felt the hairs raise on the back of my neck and I spun around, lifting Melodic Cudgel in front of me. The knife that had been flying at me hit the weapon and flipped off to the side. I lowered Melodic Cudgel towards the knife and fired off a fire round right as Scarlett materialized on top of it.

The round hit her in the chest and slammed her against the wall. Depressingly, she simply stepped away from the small crater she had left in the stone and rolled her shoulder.

Aura. As someone who barely has an Aura shell to speak of, the protective barrier that renders most weapons laughably ineffective is straight up cheating. As you may well know, I'm not necessarily against the principle of cheating; I just like to be the one doing it.

Judging from how she was currently casually brushing off specks of debris after being hit point-blank by a round that was meant to bust through solid stone, Scarlett had a discouraging amount of Aura. That was going to make this incredibly difficult.

"So, you know my Semblance then." She remarked.

"I did some research." I admitted, "Teleportation to special marks that you create; putting them on throwing knives was a devious twist."

She smiled at that, "Is that a compliment?"

I shrugged, "Make of it what you will." I replied, before pulling the trigger again.

Before the round had even flew through the suddenly empty space, I was pulling out the Faunus designed gun. I turned back towards the opening of the hall and fired as Scarlett charged at me.

She let out a cry of anger and pain as the round connected, slamming her into the wall, a foam crust forming. As it did so, I kicked at the knife at my feet, sending it flying away before turning to run.

And right there in front of me was the Crimson Archer nocking an arrow to his bowstring, the world seeming to move in slow-motion as he pulled it back.

I forced my mind to calm in those endless seconds; if I wanted to live, I was going to have to execute a series of actions perfectly. First, keep one foot moving in front of the other, next, lift the gun, aim, and finally pull the trigger.

My shot flew as the arrow did, and they collided in mid air, sending the arrow off course. I kept moving, knowing that my life depended on closing the distance. There was a flash of searing pain and I let out a gasp as the gun flew into pieces in my hand as a second arrow slashed across the distance to hit it.

I grit my teeth and ignored the pain as I clenched my bleeding hand to my chest, and lowered my shoulder as I slammed into the mercenary, sending him to the floor.

As much as I would have liked to finish him there, I was already diving forward into a roll as another knife shot through the air above my head and into the wall in front of me. This time, however I took a gamble, and instead of firing straight at the knife, I instead fired directly over my shoulder as I came into a crouch.

The flames from the round washed over me, singing my hair as it collided with something directly behind me and a savage grin came over my face as Scarlett screamed in pain once more.

I surged to my feet and shot around the corner, my feet pounding on the stone as I kept running. I roughly estimated that I wasn't far from the second gun battery at this point, which meant that Neo wouldn't have far to go once she had finished off the third gun battery.

The problem of course, is that by now I had really hoped I would have heard the explosions from said gun battery, which would mean she was on her way.

Of course that could've happened while I was still reeling from the aftereffects of the flashbang round, but considering how nothing had gone smoothly yet with this operation I wasn't betting on it.

Then the floor trembled beneath me as a deep _boom_ echoed throughout the building. "Speak of the devil." I muttered as I ran down the hall, past a doorway that billowed smoke, which I realized must have been the second gun battery.

I gagged as something latched onto my throat and I turned my gaze to see a fur-coat covered arm sticking out of the smoke. My heart dropped into my stomach as Scarlett stepped forward out of the room, her face covered in a patchwork of burns and her fur coat heavily scorched.

"And she shall appear." She hissed, and slammed me into the wall, I let out a choked cry of pain as my body hit the stone. She then repeated the process, once… twice… I lost count beyond that as my head spun and I swear I could feel my bones beginning to splinter.

She paused and brought my face close to hers, so that I could see her red eyes burning with hatred and rage, "You think that you're so damn clever!" She hissed, "No doubt you and your little bitch will think you've achieved something by taking out the anti-airship guns… Serroi's been preparing for this day for years. You think the Crimson Archer and I are dangerous? Wait until you see the army he's gathered, Cola will die here… but not before I wave your broken corpse," She shook me and I groaned as my limbs flopped like a ragdoll, "In front of him so I can see the look of despair on his face."

I gathered my strength and whispered something softly in response.

"Oh, what's this? Your last words?" Scarlett pouted, "I'm afraid you're going to have to speak a little louder."

I began to whisper again when she clenched her hand, causing me to splutter and spasm.

"Oh I'm sorry… here." She brought me closer so that my mouth was just beside her ear, "What was that again?"

"This is for Keara, bitch." I said, and then I slammed the Ice Dust round I had been holding into the side of her head.

Scarlett screamed in agony and she dropped me to the ground where I began gulping in air, watching as the woman in front of me dropped to her knees, wailing in pain… and something far more primal as she clawed at her face.

"Scarlett Sedena," I wheezed, "Once Glace Gungzhou, of the Gungzhou High Nobility." Damn my whole arm was numb from the cold, I wondered dimly if I would lose some fingers to frostbite. "When you were eight, you and your parents were in an airship crash, leaving you stranded in the tundra." I paused, "You had to watch your parents slowly freeze to death before your eyes, and you yourself nearly did so as well." Scarlett slowly began to stand up, "But someone found you, a young boy who lived in a village outside the walls… a young boy who would later become an infamous killer… Asher."

The woman twitched and began to tremble violently. "But while he saved you from the cold then, you've never lost your fear… your terror of it. The only reason you stayed in the north was to avenge him, to kill Keara, who did the deed… and Cola Malaika, who told her where his hideout was. Who also sent a fake transmission to make sure that you and his cronies weren't there to help Asher when Keara took his life."

"How did it feel?" I asked her, my tone almost accusatory, "How did it feel to know that he died alone, that when he needed you most, you weren't by his side?"

The woman began to let out a low keening sound that slowly transformed into a howl of rage as she pulled out a knife which she raised overhead, "Die!" She screamed as it began to descend.

I smiled softly as I lifted Melodic Cudgel and fired right into her chest.

Scarlett's eyes widened as the round hit her and this time, instead of being absorbed by an Aura Shell, burned a hole clean through her flesh. She stared down in shock at the fatal wound, then looked back up at me before falling onto her back, spasming as she did so.

That's the trick with the protective barrier of Aura… it requires at least a small amount of concentration to maintain at any kind of strength. Just as I had been betting on, hitting her with such a potent form of cold, a force that affected her so deeply; in addition to stirring her into a frenzy, had shattered that concentration.

"You'll never get to see that revenge." I told her, "You may have taken Keara, but you'll die knowing that Cola beat you. Just like he did all those years ago."

"No." She moaned, "No", she repeated, a desperate denial that she began to say over and over; getting softer and weaker each time until finally she fell still.

I stared at her body numbly, then I heard the scuffing of boots and I turned my head to see the Crimson Archer there, an arrow nocked onto his bow as he pulled it back; the point aimed squarely at me.

I tried to lift Melodic Cudgel, but suddenly my arm seemed so incredibly heavy as a deep weariness washed over me; and I blacked out.

* * *

When I woke again, Neo was beside me.

"Hey." I said.

She rolled her eyes, "I feel jipped, I was promised Sleeping Beauty, and instead I got Sleeping Idiot. Really? I barely get here in time to save your ass and worry out of my mind that you're already dead and the best you've got is 'hey'?"

"Where's the Crimson Archer?" I asked.

She shrugged, "Got the jump on him, he's dead."

I winced as pain shot through my injured hand, and I looked down to see that it had been bandaged; the cloth shot through with streaks of red.

"Thanks," I said, lifting up the limb.

"Not much of a yojimbo if I let you bleed out on me." Neo lowered her shoulder and helped me to my feet.

I groaned as I stood up, my every bone and muscle aching in protest; then I saw Scarlett's corpse on the ground. Her expression was still twisted in a snarl of rage and pain past the frostbite and burns that covered her face; in contrast her eyes were full of despair, revealing the futility that she had felt in her final moments.

For what seemed like eternity, Neo and I stared down at the body, "We finally did it." I whispered.

"Yeah," Neo replied just as softly.

Behind those words was so much that was unsaid, but somehow I knew that we were both thinking along similar lines. This was not just merely an act of revenge, it was the beginning of a balancing of scales that had been tipped against us when we had been helpless to do anything about it. When the women who had been like mothers to us had been taken away in a manner so awful and cruel; and we had been powerless to stop it.

Now, we could do something about it, we were strong, we were capable, and now…

My thoughts were cut short as there was a slow, grinding sound from overhead and our gazes shot to the roof of the room containing the second gun battery. It ponderously parted, revealing the white, snowy sky of Solitas, and in the distance I heard the sound of airships… a lot of them. The base's alarms began to blare and we could faintly see Serroi's mercenaries begin mobilizing for the defense.

"Time for the real fun to begin." I remarked.


	33. Chapter 33

**Some of you might have noticed that I have deviated from my usual method of releasing alternating chapters of 'Nevermore Sweetling' and 'How I Learned to Stop Worrying'. Essentially with the new RWBY volume approaching and Atlas pretty much being confirmed as the next focus, I'm attempting to more or less finish the story before it goes too far along. The reasoning for that is fairly simple, I have more or less been attempting to keep the story such that it is possible for it to fit inside RWBY canon. So far I have been able to do this because Atlas (and Solitas in general) has been more or less a blank slate. I admit that I was heavily disappointed with the world-building of Mistral for a slew of reasons and can't honestly pretend on how strong my motivation will be if Atlas ends up being similar. The long and short of it is to expect 'How I Learned to Stop Worrying' releases to speed up, and those for 'Nevermore Sweetling' to slow down. Apologies for those who are fans of the latter more than the former.**

* * *

 **Thanks to TehGramerPolise for helping with this chapter.**

* * *

The attack, when it came, hit with all the wrath of the heavens. One moment, there was the faint sound of airships, and the next gouts of fire erupted from the ground as rockets howled through the air and slammed into the ground Several Rhinos became visible as they flew low to the ground, and I could faintly see figures leaping out of them and rappelling to the ground. The sound of small-arms fire began to crack and pop as Cola and Serroi's forces exchanged fire.

As the onslaught continued, the tanks arrived, announcing their presence with a thundering boom that sent the gates of the fortress flying off their hinges, allowing one of the vehicles to roll through. It parked itself in the center of the courtyard, crushing a few of the smaller supply trucks parked there as it did so. Its mounted machine gun began opening fire, mowing down the few troops still out in the open. The ones behind cover however, were only somewhat more fortunate, as the tank's main gun began to swivel ominously before blowing several crates to smithereens. The screams of the men who had been hiding there echoing faintly in the crisp, cold air.

"Damn." Neo breathed, "That's one hell of an entrance."

"Trust Cola to set the bar high," I replied.

Without warning a ground-shaking, bestial roar erupted from the fortress, drowning out everything else with its sheer volume. Neo and I looked at each other with wide eyes, before turning our gazes to pinpoint the source of the noise.

A massive figure stepped forward out of one of the vehicle bays; he was shaped like a man, but he was so tall he was maybe only barely shorter than a Paladin. Every inch of the man was covered with metal, and in his hands was a mace that was easily the size of a truck and no doubt weighed nearly twice as much. I could swear even from this distance that I could feel the air shifting from the sheer mass of the weapon as he swung it around like a toy. He paused and let out another roar as he faced off against the tank.

"Oh hell... that's..."

"That's Tai Horgrun." I stated, "He's supposed to be dead…"

Tai Hogrun had been less of a criminal and more like a force of nature. He had once just been a normal boy, but during a Grimm attack his Semblance had manifested itself, causing him to grow to a superhuman size, and the strength to match. He had been gifted a fine set of armor and a weapon sized to his massive strength as a reward by the then Lord Elector Vern of House Drummond. That particular decision had ended up becoming a black eye on the house when Tai had promptly used that gift to go on a murdering spree that had spanned twenty villages and left hundreds dead. No one knew why he had done it, and eventually he was killed, but not before he had inflicted significant losses on the High Nobility forces that had been sent after him.

Now here he was, and I didn't have to guess too hard on who had been behind faking his death.

The tank turned its main gun on the behemoth and opened fire, launching a shell directly at the man's chest.

The round hit dead on, sending the man staggering, but little else. The entire square seemed to freeze for a moment, and then the tank's treads began to churn as it tried to reverse back towards the gate opening.

Tai didn't let it get far, with a roar, he charged forward and grabbed the tank with one of his massive hands, stopping it in its tracks. He then lifted his mace with the other and began pounding the vehicle like a blacksmith might upon an anvil. The tank's armor withstood one blow, two… and then it buckled, collapsing in on itself with each blow. The screeching of the warping metal filled the courtyard, completely drowning out the screams of the crew inside.

"So um…" Neo swallowed nervously as Tai seemed satisfied with the destruction of the tank. Picking it up, he tossed it casually back over the wall, causing a cheer from Serroi's remaining forces. "Something tells me that we're going to need a bigger tank…"

One of Cola's soldiers seemed to agree as one of the Rhinos lifted up above the fortress walls, its twin guns began to whir, sending hundreds of rounds into the metal-covered juggernaut.

The man let out a howl of pain, lifting one of his massive arms to cover his face, and with the other began pawing down for something at his feet. Without warning, he let out a roar and threw up a slab of metal that I realized must have been one of the trucks that had been crushed by the tank.

The pilot tried to desperately to dodge the projectile, but the Rhino was far too slow; there was the sound of grinding metal as it crushed the cockpit, sending the airship spinning into a dive and out of sight. A few seconds later there was a crash, and then silence once more.

Huh… that had just happened.

"Looks like you're going to have to update the specs on the Rhinos." Neo joked, her voice slightly queasy.

I clenched my fist as I stared at the seemingly unstoppable monster that was now stomping its way around the courtyard. Cola's forces fired at him, and then began to run, first one, then another… soon all of them were running for their lives, completely abandoning any idea of fighting back. Tai let out a loud booming laugh as he pursued Cola's forces. I blinked in disbelief at the sudden loss of professionalism, this couldn't be how it ended… Neo and I had risked so much… had accomplished so much. Was this whole attack really going to be foiled by this… thing?

I winced as Tai's mace swung into two men, sending their lifeless husks into the wall. Then I blinked as I saw that one man was standing in the entrance gate, seemingly unheeding of the others streaming past him.

"Neo," I snapped, "Binoculars."

She obeyed and I brought them up to my face, zooming them in on the man.

It was Kuroi.

He was dressed in lamellar armor, his sheathed katana at his side. He looked around the destruction with pursed lips, then shook his head with an air of disapproval. I frowned as I noticed that the soldiers who had been retreating were regrouping behind him, the air of panic that had seemingly filled them before now gone.

The Faunus man began walking casually forward towards Tai, and he waved as he did so, his face split into a wide smile.

The armored juggernaut seemed perplexed by this and stopped, grounding his mace as he did so. Kuroi took a few more steps and then stopped as well, and I could see his lips moving as he began talking to the man.

Whatever he said must have amused Tai, because he let out a large booming laugh that seemed to shake the very fortress, and then rumbled something in reply.

Instantly, there was a shift in Kuroi's posture, the once casual, relaxed pose, was still relaxed, but there was something dangerous in it now as he reached one hand to his sword.

Tai let out a roar, and began thundering forward, his mace whirling overhead as he sought to crush the Faunus man into a pancake.

Kuroi didn't move a muscle at first; an arrogant little smile crept up on his face. Then as the mace descended, he shifted to the side in a single, languid motion. The weapon slammed into the ground, causing the earth to tremble as it left a massive crater. Kuroi slashed at Tai's now exposed arm, his blade simply rebounding off the heavy armor.

Tai let out a deep laugh as he swung the arm at Kuroi, who leapt over it, his katana flashing out to land another blow that once again simply bounced uselessly off Tai's armor.

The juggernaut turned to face Kuroi, fog coming out in gouts from his helmet as he breathed heavily, then without warning he reared back his head and let out a scream of agony. I frowned in confusion as I scanned him with the binoculars, trying to search for what had injured the man.

"Did something happen to his arm?" Neo asked me.

I focussed in on the limb that Kuroi had hit with his blade and sure enough, it was hanging limp, blood pouring from underneath the armor in sheets. "That's impossible," I murmured, "His blade wasn't getting through…"

"Is it his Semblance?" Neo asked.

"It has to be." I answered, "It must work in a strange manner for the blows to register so long after the strikes themselv-"

I was cut off as the behemoth let out another roar and ran forward at Kuroi, swinging his limp arm and mace in a wild flurry of blows.

Kuroi dodged around the blows with ease, and I stared in amazement, it wasn't anything about the speed of his movements that were so astonishing, but rather, the almost lazy efficiency with which they were done. He continued using relaxed, casual movements; Tai might have been better off punching the air for all the damage it was doing to his opponent.

"Dust and bones," I breathed, "He's toying with him."

"Looks like it; but then again I don't have the binoculars." Neo replied drily.

Kuroi finally seemed to grow bored of the fight, and leapt up on top of the giant's shoulder, slashing his katana at the gorget that protected Tai's throat. Once again the blow bounced harmlessly off the armor before Kuroi leapt to the ground. The giant took a single step forward, and then his hand shot to his throat. He fell to his knees as blood spat around his armored glove. He wobbled there for a moment before falling to the ground, causing the snow to jump in a small radius around his body. Tai spasmed once, and then went still as the snow around him turned a crimson red.

Kuroi flicked his katana to the side, causing a spray of blood to fly from its blade; he nodded once in satisfaction at the massive, metal-covered body in front of him before he whirled around and walked back towards the gate.

As he did so, Cola's men began to filter back inside and the small arms fire resumed in earnest as another tank began rolling forward.

"Judging from your expression, that was even more impressive with the binoculars?" Neo asked.

I lowered them and shook my head, "I mean, you saw what that giant could do... but Kuroi put him down like it was nothing."

Neo shrugged, "We've always known Kuroi is dangerous, and even more so since Cola decided he was worth bringing along."

I nodded, "I guess you're right, still… there's a difference between knowing that he's dangerous and…" I gestured vaguely at the distant carnage, "That. Forgive the cliche, but I'm glad he's on our side."

Neo grimaced, "Just so long as you understand you get one cliche per metal-covered giant person, that's it. Now c'mon, we should go down there and get a medic to take a look at you."

I winced as she got a more solid grip on me and she began using her Semblance to get us down to the ground.

"Oh and by the way." She said as we paused in between jumps, "Next time, I get the binoculars."

* * *

By the time we arrived at the bottom, Cola's forces had completely captured the courtyard. We were stopped by a couple of mercenaries, but they waved us through once Neo identified who we were.

We eventually were led outside the ruined gate, where it appeared a small headquarters had been established by ringing a small area with the Rhinos. There, we found Cola talking with Kuroi, Belmorzh, and Madame Bianca as they all studied a set of holographic blueprints.

Cola looked up as we approached and gave us a small smile, which quickly replaced by a look of professional concern as he evaluated my condition.

"Dawn," He barked, the blonde-haired woman stepped forward out of one of the airships and he jerked his head in our direction before turning back to the blueprints.

She walked up to us and placed her arms on my shoulders, I shivered slightly as I felt my skin crawl, but gradually the pain began to disappear. About a minute later, I was rolling my shoulders, maybe not feeling good as new, but certainly much better than before. I nodded my thanks and Dawn bowed her head slightly before walking away.

While that had been going on, Neo had been watching the assembled crime lords analyzing the blueprint, "You're gonna love this," She told me. "Apparently the facility extends underground into several massive chambers."

"So if Serroi's here, then it's likely he's gone down there."

Neo grinned, "That's not the best part; the only way to get down there is through three elevator shafts."

I winced, "Yikes, that's going to be a rough choke point… any possibility that they're just going to gas them out?"

Neo nodded, "Sounds like they're trying that now, but aren't very optimistic about it being effective. It looks like they're currently deciding on how they're going to split our forces."

That made sense. We would have to leave a sizable force on the surface, both to protect against any reinforcements from Serroi, as well as Grimm attacks. However, they would also be guarding against the possibility that Serroi had an escape route, which meant we would have to leave enough to cover a fairly sizable area, and that meant…

The assembled crime lords seem to come to some sort of agreement and they began to disperse.

Kuroi swaggered up in our direction.

"Mister Little Red, you and your little rapscallion are with me." He gave us a lopsided grin, "We're going down into the dragon's den and we're going to slit his throat."

"Who else is going with us?" I asked him.

"Well of course Cola is going, then Madame Bianca is bringing along her Grand Assassin, the brickhouse is sending two of his flunkies, and then we're also bringing along Mida's knight."

"So that makes nine?" Neo asked.

"It does indeed," Kuroi replied, "Also, Mister Little Red, we'll need a name for your accomplice."

"Uh… why don't we go with-" I began when Neo slapped me hard on the back.

"Oh hell no," She hissed at me, "If we let you decide you'll probably come up with something creative… like Neon… or maybe you'll go really wild and flip a couple of letters around."

I held up my hands in acquiescence, "Okay, fine what would you go with?"

"Columbina." She replied instantly.

I lifted an eyebrow at her, "You've been thinking about this for a bit haven't you?"

She grinned slightly and turned back to Kuroi who had been watching with amusement in his eyes. "Very well then, Roman and Columbina, let's go skin some dragons."

* * *

The team assembled outside of one of the large elevator shafts, just as Kuroi had told us, Cola was there, his massive revolver at his waist and in his usual dapper suit. He stood next to Madame Bianca who was wearing a full suit of silver-colored body armor, leaving only her head exposed. Beside her was The Grand Assassin, wearing his distinctive cloak with his two short-swords at his side. Standing slightly apart from them were two of Belmorzh's men, both of them almost exactly alike save for one had green colored hair, and the other blue. Their names were Conner and Pine respectively, and both gave Kuroi a pair of hard stares, to which the Faunus simply replied with a lazy wave of his hand. Filling out our party was Terra, the armored blonde-haired woman who had been with Midas at the meeting; she had an unusually wide blade sheathed at her side and gave us a curt nod as we arrived.

"Good, we're all here." Cola rumbled, "Now, allow me to make a few things eminently clear." He used his cane to point to the elevator shaft, "We are going down there to kill Serroi. He is prepared for us, and there is quite honestly no telling what kind of surprises he has for us." He lowered his cane and his eyes met with each of ours in turn, "The first: during this mission, I am in command, that means you are to follow my orders without question. If I fall or we are separated, Kuroi is next in line, and if he is indisposed, then it falls to Madame Bianca."

He folded his hands on top of his cane, "The next is that I care not what orders you may or may not have regarding this expedition, you know my reputation… if anyone endangers our killing of Serroi, then you will be removed swiftly and without hesitation." He allowed his gaze to linger over Belmorzh's men for a moment before turning to the rest of us. "Now that is out of the way… this operation is currently presented with a problem."

He gestured at the elevator shaft, "There are only three ways into the underground part of this facility. As they are spread out quite a distance from each other, we will only be taking one, as if we were to split up, then each group could be simply crushed in turn."

"With that being said, the problem becomes obvious, they will know exactly we are coming from. We will be launching distractions using small amount of our forces at the other two shafts, but it will be a rather simple matter to know where our main attack will be coming from."

"We can then expect heavy resistance beginning from the moment we exit the elevator, maybe even during the ride down; therefore this is the stratagem I have devised to ensure that we do not meet our demise…"

* * *

Taupe licked his lips and Satin sighed in frustration, "What is it now?" She snapped.

The man gave her a sullen look, "Do we really need to cover this elevator?" He whined, "This never works... like... whenever people are riding on elevators in the movies, the people covering it never win."

Satin rolled her eyes; she was currently in charge of six of Serroi's mercenaries that had managed to escape the fight on the surface. Their orders had immediately come in to cover the three elevator entrances while others fortified further back. It had not taken her long to figure out why Taupe had made it out alive, if it really came to a fight, she doubted he would even fire his gun before he ran.

"Movies are not real life," She snapped back at him, "We have three heavy caliber guns on that elevator, it doesn't matter what defensive Semblances they have, they're going to take a beating before they even have a chance to reach us. We're far enough back that if they left an explosive in the car to take us out then they'll just cave in the shaft; also if they use that jump Semblance that intel says that they have at their disposal, then they're going to look real stupid when they just jump out in front of us. They'd have to know exactly what our position is, and to do that, they'd have to drop down a sensor, which ours would spot from a mile away, so hold to your post and shut up."

The man grumbled something under his breath that was interrupted by the sensor in the shaft going off, "Ma'am, we have nine confirmed signatures in the car… one of them has to be Cola… unless they have a massive bear on hand."

"Sound the alert." She ordered, although she knew it was probably pointless, no doubt all three elevators were coming down simultaneously, all equally convinced that Cola and his main force was in their elevator. "Keep me updated if there are any anomalies."

The man nodded and Satin felt a lump in her throat, the elevators were supposed to take only thirty seconds to arrive, but to her that half a minute stretched on for an eternity; "Remember, left take top, middle take middle, and right take bottom." She ordered, trying to keep her voice calm. The three gunners nodded grimly as they aimed down the long hallway.

"ETA ten seconds." The man at the sensor stated.

"Open fire at ETA five seconds," Satin ordered, "Don't stop firing until I say so, or the drums are empty… FIRE"

The guns opened up in a thunderous barrage, tearing at the elevator doors at the far side of the hall. Whatever was in the car would be going right into that hail of gunfire and would be torn to shreds; or at least so Satin hoped as she lifted her own rifle, drops of sweat forming on her brow as she desperately searched for a target.

She was dimly aware of a wail of despair that she recognized as Taupe, and faintly heard the sounds of his boots striking the floor as he began to flee. Figures, she thought to herself, she promised herself to execute the man on the spot if she survived this.

The first moment she knew something was wrong was when she heard Taupe let out a screech of fear. She whirled around just in time to see a small figure in body armor stab her in the chest. Satin stared at the blade in disbelief and the figure wrenched it out before turning to the rest of her men; who were helpless before the attack as they tried in vain to turn the massive guns on the new threat. Satin's whole world became a fog as she collapsed to her knees, H _ow? She had done everything right-_

* * *

I let out a long, slow sigh of relief as the blistering gunfire that had been ripping through the bottom of the elevator ceased abruptly. Terra let out a grunt as she pulled her overly wide blade out of the wall, and allowing the car to be lowered to the ground.

"A little close there Madame." Kuroi remarked.

Madame Bianca gave the Faunus man a haughty glare before turning to Cola, "I would appreciate it as a professional courtesy if you explained to me how you managed to discover my Semblance."

Cola nodded to her, "Very well, I will admit, most of it was guesswork based on some accounts of fights where you seemed to know the positions of enemies in an unknown manner. Pine, Conner, the doors if you please."

The two men stepped forward as one and each grabbed a door and heaved, wrenching the metal sufficiently enough to allow us through, Neo stood over the corpses of six mercenaries in the hallway beyond, her head on a swivel as she made sure that no reinforcements were coming.

"In any case," Cola continued, "I had my suspicions regarding it, but I confirmed it during the meeting when you jolted so perceivably during my display."

The woman's eyes narrowed, "When you slammed the table... you knew that I was going to have my Semblance active to detect vibrations in order to make sure that the meeting wasn't a trap… clever."

I of course had noticed nothing of the sort from Madame Bianca, having been fixated on the outburst of emotion… much like everyone else in the room. To think that Cola had managed to put on such an act that had apparently accomplished several goals at once… it was humbling to say the least. Then again this was a man who had managed to maneuver himself into a position of authority over this gathering of crime lords in the first place.

Cola didn't reply to Madame Bianca's assessment, instead nodding to Neo, "Good work Columbina, any escapees?"

Neo shook her head, "No, but they have communication equipment, so we can safely assume that they know we're here."

"So it is likely that we are going to be soon facing against heavy resistance." Cola concluded, "Expect our combatants to have fairly potent Semblances from this point onward."

"Oh goodie, I was getting bored." Kuroi replied.

And with that, nine of the most dangerous people in Solitas walked into the dragon's lair.


	34. Chapter 34

**Thanks to TehGramerPolise for helping with this chapter.**

* * *

Journal Entry 315

Semblances are crazy.

I mean, think about it… every so often, someone is just born with a superpower that as far as we can tell, seems to match some part of a person's personality.

These powers can be as subtle as Madame Bianca's ability to sense vibrations to whatever the hell the Schnee's magic glyph thing is. Hell, fairly well-documented stories have emerged regarding pirates who could _summon_ a ship; I'm not talking about a dinky little fishing ship, I'm talking about a giant wood and sail galleon. To be fair though, historians have debated that the ships appearing out of nowhere could have more to do with knowledge of the coastline than a Semblance.

Semblances are so crazy that even Atlas's best scientists are stumped. Let's review that real quick… energy forcefields? Check. Fully functioning combat AI? Check. An android that possesses Aura? Check. Get this though, even though she has a Semblance-like ability, that was just coincidence. That's right, they gave her Aura and the Semblance just kind of happened. They are absolutely no closer to understanding Semblances themselves.

They also have the uncanny knack for making even people with Aura shells that could withstand tank shots to the chest just keel over dead. (Kuroi and Tai case in point.)

Also case in point with the next part of our story.

* * *

Our group walked through the hallway, the Grand Assassin and Madame Bianca taking the lead. While the rest of us kept our eyes peeled, I don't think any of us believed that we would actually spot something before Madame Bianca's Semblance sussed it out.

While we walked, Cola talked, keeping his voice in a deliberately steady rhythm in order to not interfere with Madame Bianca's Semblance.

"With Tai Ogrun dead, Serroi now only possesses two Semblances that we know much of anything about." He stated, "The first is a Rashin by the name of Opal; his Semblance is much of what you'd expect, lightning based attacks that are moderate in their strength."

"By far however the more interesting," He continued, "Is Serroi's Semblance."

My eyes went wide and I shot my gaze over to Cola, who ignored my reaction as he continued on dispassionately, "Serroi's ability is telepathy. More to the point, he is able to send thoughts into other individual's minds. In return, he can read thoughts that are on the surface. This increases in strength the closer he is to the person in question. Given enough time, if he is face to face with someone he can delve down into the depths of a person's very subconscious. Enabling him to not only read most of what the person is thinking; but unearthing things that even the person themselves may not consciously be aware of."

"Must make a killer psychologist." Kuroi quipped.

"Can he detect the presence of other minds then?" Pine asked.

"The presence? Yes. Determining the identity however, is far more difficult for him. In order to connect with a mind or recognize it, he usually needs to have a sort of familiarity with it."

"How are you so familiar with his Semblance?" Conner asked.

Cola paused, just for the briefest of moments, "I have dealt with him many times in the past; needless to say, he will recognize the presence of my mind from those past experiences."

Conner nodded, seemingly satisfied, and we continued on down the hallway.

However, behind my mask, I was frowning. Cola was lying, or at least, not telling the whole truth; that pause, a certain tone in his voice… otherwise innocuous things made telling by years of talking with him, being around him, and yes, even playing Liar's Net with him. What part was the lie though? A lifetime ago, just after the Festival of Lights that had gone so wrong, he had told me that my mother had the chance to kill Serroi, but hadn't taken it. Was it something to do with that?

Before I could continue my train of thought, Madame Bianca halted and lifted up a fist. Instantly, all of our weapons were at the ready, "What do you sense?" Cola rumbled.

"It's strange, it's like… music… but-" She let out a harsh, retching sound, and fell to her knees. Instantly, The Grand Assassin knelt at her side, placing his hand on her back.

That's when a purple and white _thing_ shot out of the walls and flew at the man, letting out a high-pitched shriek.

The man's blades flew in a deadly arc as he slashed at the creature… only to have the weapons pass right through, leaving the thing unharmed. It slammed into his face and began clawing it him. As it did so, three more began to wriggle forth from the walls, all flying towards us, lamprey like mouths open wide.

Even as we fell under assault, another sound became audible; it sounded like a whistle, sounding out in short, piercing bursts. However even in just those single notes, it was somehow discordant, unpleasant, and grating; not only on the ears, but somehow even to the mind and the stomach and I blinked the stars out of my eyes as a wave of dizziness washed over me.

Beside me, Kuroi stepped forward, his katana flying out of his sheath. With a cry, he slashed with his blade a good hands-length in front of the approaching creatures.

"Damn it." I growled, if I was suffering this much from the nauseating whistle, then as a Faunus, Kuroi would be suffering nearly twice the amount. Maybe if I-

Then, right as the creatures passed into the area where Kuroi had attacked, a thread of light popped into existence, and the next moment all three monsters were cut neatly in half. I blinked in surprise as I realized that I must have just seen Kuroi's Semblance up close and personal.

The Faunus man was already turning and slashing again, and the creature on top of The Grand Assassin fell off its target with a wail. The Grand Assassin nodded his thanks as he once more shot to Madame Bianca's side, but as he did so, a particularly sharp note rang through the hall, sending nearly all of us wobbling on our feet.

All except Cola.

"Stand straight." He demanded, his voice echoing with authority. Instantly, I shot up, along with everyone else. I blinked as I realized that it was his Semblance.

"Come," He continued, "We must get out of this hallway and find the source of this damnable whistle. Madame Bianca, if you please."

She nodded shakily, and placed her hand on the ground, and sweat began beading on her forehead and she let out a hiss, "It's the sound… I can't concentra-"

"You will find the source of the sound." Cola demanded and I saw Madame Bianca visibly flinch at the force of the command, but her breathing steadied slightly as she closed her eyes.

"Look out!" Terra called, and my gaze shot up to see a large man in black metal armor step out into the hallway, carrying a massive gatling gun that he spun up as he began turning it on us.

Terra's back glowed and two massive, golden wings shot out and then folded out in front of us just as a thunderous roar began filling the hall. The blonde-haired woman let out a grunt as she stepped back, but the strange defense held… for now.

"Madame Bianca." Cola pressed.

"Hold on." She groaned.

Terra took another step back and she fell to her knees, some stray bullets began to fly past the wings as she strained to hold up against the onslaught.

"Columbina!" Madame Bianca spat.

Neo instantly went down to Madame Bianca's side and the woman grabbed her hand. Neo froze for a moment, then nodded, "Everyone grab on!" She yelled.

I obeyed instantly, as did everyone else, save for Terra, whose shoulder Cola grabbed before turning to Neo, "Jump." He commanded.

There was the familiar feeling of displacement, and when the world returned to normal, we were in another hallway. I frowned, the sound of the gunfire seemed much further away, but the whistling…

I spun around to see a man with a red mohawk who was staring at us with wide eyes. Two jagged knives were in his hands, and sitting in his mouth was a large, steel whistle that he blew desperately as he brought the weapons up to defend himself.

He was far too slow; before he had even lifted them to his chest, The Grand Assassin was on him, his blades flashing in a blur. In a matter of seconds, the damnable whistling was silenced.

That's when Neo let out a small sigh and fell flat on her face.

"Columbina!" I shouted, barely remembering in time to use her pseudonym. I fell down to my knees beside her and rolled her over. She was still breathing, but it was shallow.

"Status?" Cola demanded, Kuroi moved to my side and grabbed hold of Neo's wrist, feeling for a pulse.

"She's alive, but it looks like she's heavily overtaxed her Aura." He responded.

Cola turned to the rest of the group, where the blonde-haired woman had fallen to one knee, panting heavily. "Terra?"

"Just give me… a minute."

"Not a luxury we have." Conner growled, I followed his gaze to see a bizarre man stomping towards us. He was short, with freakishly broad shoulders, his face covered by an oversized gas mask that sat lopsided over his features. In his hands was what appeared to be a large censer that he spun around like a flail as he advanced towards us.

"Conner, Pine." Cola snapped.

The two men stepped forward and let out long, slow growls. I watched in amazement as the they began shifting and morphing, within moments, they had both taken on the shape of bipedal, wolf-like beings with massive claws. The two of them howled and launched themselves forward at the man, who let out a cackling laugh as he lurched forward to meet them.

The sound of a gatling gun spinning up made me look up and I saw the metal clad man walking around the corner, gun in tow. He saw us and brought it around to bear, "Incoming!" I yelled.

Before the sound had even left my lips, The Grand Assassin was already moving, his blades spinning as he threw himself at the gunman.

His opponent seemed to recognize instantly that he wasn't going to be able to get the gun online in time and I blinked in disbelief as the gatling gun disappeared into nothingness. Almost as soon as the gun was gone, two new weapons appeared in his hands, one was a large shield made out of a strange, obsidian-like substance. The other weapon was a spear that was a crimson red along its shaft, but its blade was pale as bleached bone.

The spear was an interesting choice, I thought dispassionately, as the Grand Assassin closed in… and a deadly mistake.

Sure enough, before the man could even bring the spear to bear, the Grand Assassin had already ducked beneath it;the man only barely got his shield in the way of one weapon, while the other struck solidly into his chest.

And there it is, I remember thinking, with the power of the Grand Assassin's blades, the fight is as good as over.

I had no idea how right I was.

The Grand Assassin abruptly let out a cry of pain and recoiled from his opponent

I watched in a mixture of shock and confusion as the man stepped forward, slamming his shield into the Grand Assassin, sending him stumbling backward. The Grand Assassin began rapidly blinking his eyes, as though clearing him, and I froze as a horrible suspicion began taking shape.

The man stepped forward and stabbed with his spear, but despite being off-balance and dazed, the Grand Assassin was still incredibly fast, and he deftly twisted away from the weapon.

Or at least it seemed like it at first; suddenly, the very air seemed to boil and shift and the next moment, the spear slammed into the Grand Assassin's chest. I stood up and began to lift Melodic Cudgel, but Cola stopped me.

"Don't," He warned, "That damned shield of his will just reflect whatever you fire right back at us."

I grimaced, so my suspicion was correct then; I watched on in despair as the man struck once, twice more with his spear. The third strike shattered the Grand Assassin's Aura shell, and sunk right into his heart.

The cloaked man let out a strangled cough that spat blood onto the ground, he looked down as though in disbelief, and then crumpled to the ground.

Our enemy let out a grunt as he yanked the spear out of the Grand Assassin's body, before raising his weapons once more.

Cola let out a small sigh, "Well then." He stepped forward, "I didn't think I would have to use my trump card so early, but I suppose when one's opponent can summon Spiegel and the Seeking Spear, one must adapt." He reached down and pulled out the massive revolver at his waist, aiming it squarely at the man, who ducked behind his shield and lifted his spear as he began advancing towards us.

I frowned as I desperately wracked my brain for what Cola's plan must be… after all, he had just stopped me from firing at the man; why then was he so confidently pointing this gun at him? I assumed it must be high-powered, but despite all of the times I had seen it at his waist, never once had he fired it. Was there some kind of trick to it? Was he deliberately grabbing the man's attention in order to distract him? But distracting for who? No one was in position to flank him. Was he-

It was right then that Cola pulled the trigger.

There wasn't so much as a cough from the gun, instead, it felt like there was an instant and cloying silence that itched at the mind and soul. I was distinctly aware that something vile and just simply _wrong_ had entered the world. Something that wasn't supposed to exist. I would rather have stayed in a Cleaner's van for a week before suffering the mind-numbing _foulness_ that now filled the air.

I'm not sure when I closed my eyes, and I'm not sure if I screamed, moaned, or maybe a combination of all three or none at all. However, when I could see again the overwhelming feeling was gone. However, in its place was one that made the very air feel tainted and vile. Pushing past it, I began to once more take in my surroundings.

In front of Cola, the man's shield had shattered, and a massive hole gaped in his chest. For a moment the man stared at the wound, and then at Cola. Then he let out scream and fell to the ground; he began violently convulsing, and a black smoke began raising from him.

I stared numbly at the man, and then blinked as Cola fell to his knees, his other hand gripping at the gun; then I retched as a new, horrible sight greeted my eyes.

Dozens of black, slimy tendrils had emerged from the gun, all were flailing around, slapping wetly at the Cola's arm, as though attempting to grab hold. Sweat sprung from Cola's brow as he spat words past tightly gritted teeth; I took a step forward, straining to hear...

" _ **SUBMIT."**_

I barely got the faintest edge of the word, but even so I instantly fell to my hands and knees, my mind feeling like it had been hit by a speeding truck.

" _ **SUBMIT."**_ Cola hissed again, and I shivered as the words slammed at me. These were not requests… these were not even commands or decrees… they were outcomes… inevitabilities. This, I realized, was Cola's Semblance at its maximum power, and I was suddenly somehow very aware that it was now life or death that whatever Cola was directing this power at obey him.

Slowly, surely it seemed to work… the tendrils' movements began getting slower, more lethargic. Then they began to grow smaller, then smaller… soon they had disappeared, and Cola seemed to hold nothing more than an overly-large revolver in his hand.

He let out a long, slow breath and stood up, holstering the revolver before glancing at me, "I apologize that you had to witness that; though I suppose in our current situation it was likely inevitable."

"What… what in the hell was that?" I asked him, then my eyes widened, "Basmune." I whispered. The conversation from so long ago echoed in my mind:

"'So where is it now?'" Neo had asked him. "'Someplace safe.'" Cola had answered, "'Someplace where I can be sure that no one uses it for their own ends.'"

Of course… after all, I knew better than anyone else that no vault was truly safe. What better place to keep such a potent weapon than right at his side?

Cola nodded in response, "Yes… this marks the first time in many years that I have used it." He looked back towards the man, "It is a… devastating weapon."

I followed his gaze and I felt bile rise into my throat, what used to be a man was now a pile of steaming sludge that was slowly oozing out into a steaming puddle.

Beside me, Cola reached down and picked something up before putting it into his pocket, "Come." He told me, "We should rejoin the fight."

I nodded, sparing only a single, last glance back at the puddle left behind.

* * *

Kuroi was still standing before the rest of the group, his blade spinning as he continued to slice through the ghostly creatures that were still trying to reach at us with their claws and sharp teeth.

"Madame Bianca?" Cola asked calmly.

The woman nodded from where she was knelt with one palm flat on the ground, "I have his location." She answered, "However, it's behind two others that are getting closer.

"I see…" Cola turned to Neo, who was still laying down on her back, her breathing shallow, but even. He then bent down and whispered something in her ear. Instantly, she shot awake, her umbrella in her hand and her chest heaving.

"Columbina." Neo's head turned to Cola, "Can you make another jump and still be combat effective? Just yourself."

Neo hesitated, then nodded sharply, "Excellent, Madame? If you would please."

Madame Bianca nodded and once more grabbed Neo's hand, they knelt like that together for a moment, and then next Neo was gone.

Perhaps just a couple seconds later, the ghosts all collectively let out a sharp wail before disappearing completely.

"Oh, she is just the cat's meow!" Kuroi crowed, he spun his katana around, then launched himself forward where Conner and Pine were both still trading blows with the strange squat man.

Kuroi dove into the fray letting out a battle cry, his blade slashing at the squat man. The man held for a time, but it was simply too much and with a choked cry he fell as his Aura shell shattered. The Faunus man slashed one more time and the man's head flew from his shoulders, his body collapsing to the floor.

Kuroi nodded in satisfaction before flicking the blood from his katana, he then sheathed his blade and walked back towards us; Conner and Pine following along behind him in their beast-like forms.

"Excellently done." Cola commented, "Madame Bianca, what of the two other presences?"

"They appear to be retreating," She answered, "They are heading towards a place with a few other vibrations… they're echoing… as though they're in a larger room."

"No doubt that's where they plan to make their final stand." Cola mused, "Come, let us join Columbina. Conner, Pine, if you would assist Terra until she is fully recovered?" The two obeyed, putting their shoulders under either arm and helping her to her feet.

We walked down the hallway, past the squat man's headless body and turned the corner to find Neo standing over the corpse of a tall, spindly man wearing a trench coat.

"Huh, the Geist-Meister." Kuroi commented, "He was supposed to be dead."

"So was Tai Horgrun." I replied, "Hopefully you made it stick this time though."

Kuroi nodded, "I do hate to do things over; it ventures too close to insanity."

I let out a small snort at that as we rejoined Neo.

"Good work, Columbina." Cola remarked.

Neo bowed her head in acknowledgement and rejoined our group as we began walking down the hall. Soon we had come to a pair of large, steel doors.

Madame Bianca put her hand on the wall and concentrated for a moment, "There are ten… no… at least fourteen presences in that room."

"Hmm…" Cola turned, "Terra? Are you recovered?"

The blonde woman nodded and readied her blade, Cola nodded and turned to the rest of us, "I will not lie to you, there could be anything on the other side of this door. There could be traps, bombs, machine guns, any number of things."

Cola tapped his cane on the ground, "However, one does not simply miss an opportunity like this." With that, he turned to the doors and slammed them open, striding forward into the room.

I blinked in surprise at the action and hastily followed after him, followed quickly by the rest of our group, who all fanned out as we entered a massive room that looked like a warehouse. There were crates stacked everywhere, and a catwalk that spanned the width of the room high overhead.

Also there were a lot of people with machine guns who aimed the weapons menacingly at us. In addition there were two far more remarkable figures: one was a man wearing a long robe, his features completely shadowed by an ominous cloak. A jagged scythe that appeared to be made out of stone was in his hands, which he simply planted on the ground as he considered us.

The second was a man who had a gaunt, almost emaciated looking body; he wore what appeared to be a pair of overalls, and a wide-brimmed straw hat that sat on his head. He carried what appeared to be a simple pitchfork, its rusty prongs bent and warped.

"Well, well, well." A man stepped out onto the catwalk, "I was wondering when this day would come, Cola."

Cola face twisted into a savage smile, "And I have been _hungering_ for when this day would come… Serroi."


	35. Chapter 35

**Thanks to TehGramerPolise for helping with this chapter.**

* * *

So there I was, looking up at the man who had not only killed my parents.

He had tried to kill me, and had kept me as a slave, along with many other children, in conditions in which starvation was a constant companion; along with death and casual cruelty.

Years later, he had then gone on to kill my foster parents in yet another attempt on my life; making him a boogeyman that was constantly at the back of my mind. A dark creature of the night that every time it appeared caused more misery, pain and loss.

Not only that, here was the man that Cola had lusted for vengeance after for years: Cola Malaika. A crime boss whose personal prowess was immense, wielding an ancient weapon that apparently turned people into steaming puddles. On top of that, his connections and influence seemed to have no limits, from the lowest dregs of society up to even having a seat on the board at Atlas Academy (Under the pseudonym Blaze Untara). Yet it was only now, and with the aid of several other powerful crime lords, that he was able to even make a serious attempt at achieving that vengeance.

I have to admit I was somehow vaguely disappointed.

I suppose my mental image had been all over the place in terms of how I'd imagined my lifelong nemesis. Sometimes he was a tall, dark man with a hard, scarred face; other times he was short, fat and horribly obese, his narrow piggy eyes full of menace and greed. Neo had once put forward in one of our idle moments that maybe he was Cola's twin, and that was why he was so paranoid about code phrases and passwords.

Serroi Vertimos in actuality had a wide, incredibly average face, his hair seemed to have gone gray prematurely and he was wearing a black t-shirt and jeans. He leaned on the rail of the catwalk, peering down at us.

"Have you then?" He asked Cola, "Well, I'd hate to leave a guest of mine hungry."

My time of disappointment was cut incredibly short by a massive wave of lightning that crashed all around us, causing the air to reek with ozone.

The air filled with screams as Serroi's men on the ground convulsed from the lightning, unknowing sacrifices in Serroi's gambit to destroy us. It was instantaneous and overwhelming, there was no way I should have survived.

* * *

Fortunately, Neo had a different opinion about that, because as soon as the attack came rolling in, she jumped both Cola and myself up to the catwalk.

I spun around as soon as I got my bearings, trying to see how our other companions had fared.

I recognized Conner's beast-shaped form digging its claws into the hall, Madame Bianca clinging tightly to his back. Looking down, I saw that Pine had attempted a similar maneuver, but a pair of dark, shadowy hands were holding him down on the ground in amongst the electricity. The man let out a howl of pain and rage, then began jerking and shuddering as his Aura Shell faded, and the howl turned into a shriek. The smell of burning fur and flesh filled the air, and I gagged slightly as I looked for the others.

"Banzai!" I looked up to see Terra swoop around the room, flapping her golden wings and holding tight onto one of her legs with one hand while brandishing his katana with the other was Kuroi.

The two charged at Serroi, Kuroi letting out a war cry as they approached. Serroi grinned slightly and nodded once.

A dust cloud appeared from out of nowhere, streaking straight at Kuroi and Terra. A strange humming filled the air and I looked closer at the cloud and then shivered with horror as I realized the truth.

The cloud was not made up of dust, but rather winged insects with sharp, glistening mandibles and gigantic, locust-like wings.

Kuroi's eyes widened as the cloud approached rapidly and he attempted to slash at it with his katana, causing a web of the lines from his Semblance to appear in the air. However, the cloud went straight through it, seemingly none the worse for wear, colliding with the two and swarming around them.

"Rowan," I turned to see Cola nodding his head up towards one of the walls.

I followed his gaze to see Serroi's two men who had been standing on the ground up on a small platform, a third man was with them who was wielding what appeared to be a rod flowing with electricity.

Both of the men's eyes were filled with concentration, no doubt responsible for the hands holding Pine, as well as the insect cloud attacking Terra and Kuroi. The third, upon closer inspection, was a Rashin, and was no doubt behind the electricity that was currently roiling over the ground beneath us.

"I trust you know what to do?"

I grinned as I pulled out Melodic Cudgel and loaded up an explosive round. I aimed at where the platform attached to the wall and then pulled the trigger.

A dark-red ball flew out and slammed the wall, and then a moment later, detonated with an ear-shattering _boom_. The platform wavered for a moment, and then plummeted down to crash to the ground, the lightning faded away, as did the cloud of insects.

Terra wavered in the air for a moment, and then crashed down onto the catwalk. Kuroi slowly got to his feet, but Terra was deathly still.

The wreckage of the platform stirred and shifted, and soon, all three of our adversaries were standing back up; the man with the pitchfork lifted his weapon and was about to slam it onto the ground but Conner struck first. He tackled the man and the two began rolling on the ground, with Conner spitting and snarling as he tried to claw and bite his opponent.

The other two turned to help, but had to dodge aside as a spray of bullets flew at them. Madame Bianca stepped forward, two small submachine guns in her hands.

As that fight got underway, Serroi turned and ran down the catwalk, disappearing down a long hallway.

"Kuroi!" Cola barked, "Take out those two, Roman and I will deal with Serroi." He turned and began to pound his way after Serroi.

The Faunus man nodded, but I hesitated as I looked down at Neo.

She hadn't gotten up after jumping with Cola and myself, and was panting hard as she knelt on her hands and knees. He was right, in this state, even I would be able to move faster than she could. To just leave her behind though-

"Go!" She rasped as though she could read my thoughts, "Get him for both of us!"

Still I stayed, unable to force myself to turn away, and she sighed, "I'm pretty sure that this is gonna break some kind of yojimbo oath." She muttered, then she yanked out a Dust crystal and tossed it at my feet.

I barely was able to direct my gaze down before a purple flash of light erupted, sending me flying backwards.

I slammed Melodic Cudgel into the ground, allowing me to slow my momentum enough to skid along the ground without breaking anything. I shot to my feet to see that Neo had disappeared and I cursed as I realized that she must have used her Semblance to hide from me, as well as from the battle now raging between the remains of our infiltration team and Serroi's mercenaries. If I were to search for her now, all I'd be doing is revealing her location in her weakened state. Which left only one viable option left.

Still biting back angry curses born of worry, I turned to the hallway and ran.

* * *

It was surreal running down that hallway behind Cola, neither of us saying a word as we sprinted after our enemy. The part that felt strange- to the point of being almost wrong- was that Neo was not with us. I could feel her absence from my side keenly; sure we had been apart before on operations, but there was always a plan to rendezvous.

Here… I had been forced to leave her in the middle of a fight, while running to a probably equally dangerous fight myself. Not only that, but facing Serroi without her, considering everything we had been through felt just off.

These were what dominated my thoughts as we continued to run after our quarry. No sound but our breathing and the beating of our feet against the stone floor.

* * *

After probably half a minute or so, I saw a bright light that indicated there was a room ahead.

As we closed in, I loaded a Dust round in Melodic Cudgel, "Close your eyes!" I yelled, and fired it into the room. There was a loud bang and a flash of light and Cola ducked in under the archway.

I followed shortly after, quickly taking in the scene.

It was what appeared to be a large laboratory, a large steel table dominated the center of the room, with giant metal tubes lining the walls. Shelves stacked high with vials and beakers were spread around, and at the far wall was a computer bank, which Serroi hunched over, typing rapidly.

On the ground two men were dead, their heads twisted violently around and necks broken; no doubt Cola's work. Cola himself was still advancing forward, when suddenly one of the metal tubes opened, letting out a gout of steam. A man flew out of it and collided with Cola, and I stared as he sent the massive, ebony-skinned man crashing into the wall. He then stood up, and his gaze swiveled to me and he took a menacing step forward.

"Now, now," Serroi cooed, "Be nice to our guests."

The man nodded sharply and walked over to stand next to Serroi, who turned to us as Cola shakily got to his feet.

"Behold!" Serroi crowed as three more of the metal tubes opened, allowing as many more men out, who all walked to stand next to the first one.

At first glance, there was nothing remarkable about any of them, all were of normal height and build. However, as I watched, one of them twitched violently and his eye began to darken as it filled with a dark liquid. As I watched in horror, the eye continued to fill and bulge. Without warning, it burst, allowing a black, foul smelling liquid to gush forth. Throughout the entire process, the man simply stood there passively like a statue.

"Ach," Serroi walked over to the man, shaking his head, "Another rejection… how unfortunate."

The now one-eyed man stood there for a moment longer, before simply falling backwards, his head slamming into the floor with a sickening squelch. The black liquid began pooling around him on the ground

"What in the name of the Brothers have you done Serroi?" Cola demanded.

"Oh, just experimented a tad." Serroi replied, "And in doing so found a compound derived from Grimm that activates an individual's latent Aura, as well as sending their adrenal system into overdrive; making them totally immune to pain or fear."

He looked down at the fallen man, "Although current side effects include constipation, anemia, blinding rage, heart attack, hypo-adrenal problems, and death."

He looked back up at us and smiled, "But then again," He purred, "One can't really argue with the results."

The three remaining subjects all charged forward on some unspoken signal, two of them flung themselves at Cola, while the third lunged at me.

Well, I could safely say that with the revelation of Serroi apparently being an evil mad scientist that the previous feeling of disappointment had completely evaporated. However, it was now replaced by the very firm desire to not go hand to hand with something that could successfully toss around someone as large as Cola.

To that end, I lifted up Melodic Cudgel and fired, the explosive Dust round collided with with the man's head and blew it clean off.

I felt a brief moment of satisfaction as I began to level the barrel at Serroi, who was still standing calmly by the computer bank, when I saw movement in the corner of my eye.

I turned just in time to see the now headless body flinging itself at me in a clumsy bear hug. I jabbed out with Melodic Cudgel, hitting the man squarely in the center of his chest; I used the pushback to shove myself away. My opponent grabbed only empty space, and then began swinging its arms around wildly, searching desperately for me.

"Ah yes, I forgot to mention; you will find my creations quite durable." Serroi commented, "It really is too bad that you showed up when you did; in perhaps a month or so I could have created an army. Oh well, such is life."

He turned back to the computer bank and began typing rapidly, "They really are the pinnacle of my research, but as much as I would love to stay and watch…" There was a rumble, and dust fell from the ceiling as there was the distant sound of an explosion. He ejected a small disk from the computer and snatched it up, pocketing it, "I'm afraid I have a flight to catch. Farewell!"

He turned and pressed a button and a portion of the wall next to him slid aside, revealing a hallway. With a final wave of his hand, he ran through.

I let out a growl of frustration as the headless man continued flailing his arms as he advanced towards me, not giving me enough space to load a round into Melodic Cudgel. There was no way he could escape… we were so close...

Cola apparently felt the same way, because he let out a roar of anger as he threw off his two attackers and barrelled into mine, sending him crashing into the wall. Giving us a brief moment of respite as our attackers recovered, preparing to throw themselves at us once more.

"Go." He commanded me as he fell into a fighting stance, "If he escapes then this was all for nothing."

"But…" I hesitated, glancing at the three _things_ , including the headless one that were all assembling to begin attacking once more.

"Rowan, one of us needs to hold these damn foul creations off, and to be quite blunt: you don't have the combat prowess necessary to perform that task. Now **go**."

Cola's Semblance casually whipped across me, sending me running before my brain had even decided to move. By that time, it was either keep going, or get killed by one of Serroi's experiments, so I kept running until I was in the hallway, leaving Cola and the experiments behind.

* * *

I wasn't running for long when I found myself in a long room, hunks of machinery whose purposes I could only guess at were strewn about. There at the far side was Serroi, and in front of him was an elevator whose button he was hitting repeatedly.

I didn't hesitate, lifting Melodic Cudgel I fired a napalm round.

Serroi noticed the danger at the last possible moment, leaping to the side as the Dust round slammed into the doors and covered them with white-hot flames.

The man stared at the doors for a moment before turning around to me, "Well, that's inconvenient." He said mildly, "Do you think that pressing the button repeatedly like that makes it go faster or slower? I could nev-"

Without warning, his arm blurred and I rolled to the side as a series of wicked looking daggers imbedded themselves into the wall behind me, and I fired back with another round from Melodic Cudgel. Serroi leapt over the round as he ran at me, a pair of daggers in his hands.

I spun my weapon and deflected his initial attacks before kicking at his leg, attempting to drive him off balance.

Or at least that's what I thought I was doing; in reality, I kicked out right into his open hand, and he yanked hard, sending me flat on my back.

Serroi grinned maniacally as he stabbed downwards with his knives, but I lashed out with Melodic Cudgel, hitting him square in the face and off of me as I scrambled to my feet.

Right… his Semblance... this would be an issue, I wasn't like Neo who could fight through feel alone. I was always thinking, planning, and calculating my next move; it wasn't so much a choice, as that was simply the way I knew how to fight. If he was reading me like a book, then I was going to have serious problems; not only that, but upon reflection the idea to kick out had something… wrong about it. It felt like one of those thoughts that you might have when you have a high fever; there had been something… other about it.

Fantastic, he was using his telepathy to insert thoughts into my mind; _just groovy man_.

I blinked and growled as I shook my head angrily.

Serroi chose that moment to unleash another flurry of knives that I only barely dodge by skirting to the side; even so, two of the blades slashed through my coat like it was tissue paper.

"I must say, your mind feels familiar." Serroi commented as he advanced, another pair of knives spinning in his hands. "Have we met?"

"No," I spat, "That would be my parents."

He paused, and his eyes widened, his spinning knives faltered, one of them clattering to the ground.

"Oh by the Maidens." He whispered, "You're the Laisren boy."

I didn't answer as I leveled Melodic Cudgel and fired off another round.

Serroi leapt off to the side, taking cover behind one of the pieces of machinery as the explosive round went off, causing bit of stone to fly everywhere.

"I must admit, I would never have _dreamed_ that Cola would actually bring you along on this mission." Serroi's voice seemed to echo strangely around the room, "He truly has thrown caution to the wind hasn't he?"

I grimaced as I realized that his voice wasn't echoing around the room, it was in my head, another example of his Semblance then.

"Indeed," He confirmed, "My apologies, but considering the situation, I would prefer you to not be able to find me by following my voice; now let's see…" I let out a gasp as my head began to throb, "Don't struggle if you would be so kind; I'm just trying to get caught up."

I let out a growl as I loaded Melodic Cudgel and picked a machine at random, launching a napalm round. It slammed low against the wall, and flames fell to land squarely behind it, setting the ground ablaze.

"Clever, I always have found a fascination with gambling, fire away my boy."

Before he had even finished speaking, I had selected my next target, and soon that too was covered in flames.

"Cola no doubt told you all about how I killed Ciara and Jett." Serroi's voice continued unabated as I turned to my next target, "I wonder though if he's told you the whole story…"

I fired another round in response, setting yet another machine aflame.

"You see, we used to all be close friends, Cola, Jett, Ciara, and myself. We were quite the team. _Were_ being the operative term of course."

I didn't answer, intentionally trying to leave my mind blank as I abruptly spun around and fired at another machine.

"Here, I even have proof of a kind." I winced as something forced itself into my mind, an image that zoomed rapidly into focus. It was like I was looking through the eyes of another person. It was a clear, summer day, the grass was green and the sun was shining high overhead. To my side was a small group of trees, and to my front was a wooden cabin that looked very familiar.

"Serroi." I turned to see Cola beaming at me, "Come; Ciara wants to memorialize this day."

"I can't imagine how many pictures she has if she's taken one every time she's built something."

Cola's eyes twinkled slightly, "That might be true, but it is extraordinary in that it's something that will remain stationary and firmly on the ground."

"We're absolutely sure about that?" I asked as we began to walk side by side.

"Jett swears that he checked every nook and cranny this time."

"Hmm…" I replied as we reached the front of the cabin, and my heart caught in my throat as I saw my mother and father there with Bayard, who was holding a large camera.

"Come on, you two!" My mother demanded, "Let's get this done so that I can give you a proper tour."

Cola of course was in the back, placing his huge arms around Jett and Ciara. I stood off to the side all of us smiled broadly as Bayard stepped backward, "Alright everyone, say 'cheese'!"

"Cheese!" We all responded, and there was a brief flash of light as Bayard took the picture. It printed out of the camera and he held it up to show us.

It was the same exact picture that had been in the cabin, in it were my mother and father, Cola, and an average, brown haired man; add in gray hair and several years and it looked exactly like…

"Yes, so you can see I'm telling the truth." Serroi said, "Now you know that Cola has not told you everythin-"

I launched three napalm rounds in quick succession, and on the last one, there was a blur as Serroi launched himself out from behind the machine just in time before the flames began consuming it; his mouth twisted in an infuriated snarl.

"Sure I do." I admitted, "The thing is that doesn't change anything, you killed my parents, you killed Keara, Kyoko, and nearly killed Neo and me." I loaded up another round into Melodic Cudgel, "The fact that I can add betrayal onto your list of crimes is just another reason you need to be wiped away from this world."

Serroi laughed, "You really are just like your mother."

I blinked, slightly caught off guard by not only the comparison, but the tone of… affection?

Seeing my distraction, Serroi charged towards me, his blades flashing in his hands. In response, I lowered Melodic Cudgel and fired a flashbang round.

Serroi dashed to the side as I closed my eyes, and I lashed out, trying to simply attack by feel, rather than any calculated plan. I was rewarded for my effort as something slammed into my head and my side in quick succession, leaving me reeling.

I fired another round and rolled away, trying to desperately buy myself space.

Just as I had suspected, whenever I tried to simply fight without thinking I was too slow, too uncoordinated to take on an experienced opponent like Serroi. If I couldn't find either a way to deal with his Semblance or a way to change how I fought, then I was done for.

Damn. I wish Neo was here, I was clearly out of my element. Together there wasn't anything we couldn't accomplish, there was nothing we couldn't do. Now, here… alone… so close yet so far from a goal that had haunted me for as long as I could remember; it made me almost want to scream.

Then an idea dawned on me, and time seemed to slow as I got to my feet and Serroi began to charge at me once more, his eyes full of a savage glee as he spun his knives.

It was unacceptable to lose to his man, Cola may have lied to me…

Serroi ducked low as I swung out with Melodic Cudgel, rising up with his knife aimed at my throat, but let out a gasp of pain as my leg swung out, connecting straight into his rib cage.

...But this man had stolen not only my parents from me, but Kyoko and Keara…

Serroi let out a growl as he swiped at me with his other knife, but I was already leaning backward and Melodic Cudgel was already swinging towards him; and he lifted up an arm to block it.

...Effectively cheating me of any contentful life I might have wanted for myself and Neo…

Melodic Cudgel continued to swing, falling short of his guard and aiming square into his chest.

...So now, only one of us would survive this fight…

I pulled the trigger, sending Serroi flying backward as the explosive round collided into him. There was an explosion and Serroi was sent skipping along the ground, coming to a stop where he began to stand up with a groan.

"You seem to be under the impression, that I enjoyed killing your mother and father." Serroi wheezed. "Truth be told, I rather admired your mother… she was a most brilliant woman."

"You say all that like you didn't have a choice." I spat, "You had every choice, you chose your path, and every step of that path made my life a living hell."

"Oh you have no idea." Serroi said in a pleading tone, "I spared her from what is to come and I would spare you as well. It is the greatest kindness I can offer to you. Just let me get it over with… please."

Maidens above, the man either really believed what he was saying… or he was attempting to manipulate me. The fact that I was even considering the first option would certainly attest to his skill as a manipulator.

Like I had said before however… I was here to right the scales that had been tipped when I was just a child. There was no turning back now.

As for actually winning this fight however, it was just as I had suspected, Cola had said that Serroi heard surface thoughts. What if, however thoughts had a kind of… volume. Sure, given time and if the thought remained static he might be able to get past; but if I could keep a flowing thought going on the surface, I could effectively block him out.

What that decoy thought would be however, was going to be an issue. It was going to have to be something that I could easily recall, but long enough that I could use it throughout the fight. What could I use that would-

Suddenly I stopped and slowly a smile came over my face.

* * *

Serroi stood up and cracked his neck, his entire body felt bruised and broken. _Well damn_ , he spun his knives once round before clenching them tightly once more. Those thoughts had been rather loud… lie, cheat, steal, survive… _The Legend of the Four Knights_? Really? That had been Ciara's favorite too; probably why she had always had that damn, fatal optimism.

He looked back up to see the boy… he had to think of him that way, it was too painful otherwise… advancing forward confidently. Interesting, he had been keeping his distance before. Oh well. Serroi spun his knives and he began walking forward to meet him. To his surprise, the boy didn't stop either.

 _Had he given up? A pity… Ciara would never have given up…_ He shoved that thought away and focussed on his Semblance as he prepared to slice the boy apart.

 _Twas long ago said that there was a boy named Jack…_ Serroi blinked in confusion and couldn't react in time as out of nowhere the boy swung that damn cane weapon of his straight into Serroi's side.

He clutched reflexively at his side as his Aura shell began failing and tried to back up and focussed his Semblance on him once more, _For it was the truth his songs could only ever inspire sadness; as there was never another heart with who could sing with his in harmony._

The thought was so loud that Serroi nearly recoiled from its sheer volume, it was like someone was screaming in his mind. This time, he let out a howl of pain as the cane slammed into his hand and his shell gave out completely causing the bones to break from the impact.

 _What kind of damn trickery was this?_ He tried to withdraw his Semblance from the absolutely deafening roar that was the boy's thoughts, but it was too late as he was hit over and over. Finally, he fell to the ground, unable to even defend himself anymore.

He lay there for a moment, simply staring at the boy; trust Ciara's son to be able to exploit his Semblance so completely.

For a moment, the boy… Rowan… stood there, breathing hard.

"At last," He said, "It's over." He brought around his weapon, aiming it straight at Serroi's face.

Oh, the boy had no idea, Serroi thought to himself, _She_ was coming… this was only the beginning.

Then there was an explosion that filled his entire existence, and he thought no more.

* * *

I don't know how long I stood there, Melodic Cudgel still aimed at the smoking corpse before me.

It was over… _It was over…_

I had won.

These were the thoughts that slowly crawled across my mind as I fell down to my knees. Continuing to stare at Serroi's motionless body.

I'm not sure when Cola arrived, but I flinched violently as he put a massive hand on my shoulder.

"Easy there." He said calmly.

I turned and my eyes widened as I saw that his other arm was missing at the shoulder, the exposed circuitry of the prosthetic sparking and zapping intermetently.

"Neo." I blurted out, "Is she alright?"

Cola nodded, " _Columbina_ , is just fine, tired, but fine. She came towards the end and helped me defeat the last of Serroi's creations, and then passed out."

My entire body slumped in relief, and Cola's hand squeezed my shoulder reassuringly.

For a moment we both stayed like that, then I spoke, "Tell me the truth," I told him, "The whole truth."

Cola moved around and sat down beside me, both of us looking at the corpse.

"That… is both wholly stranger and yet simpler than you would probably like." He told me.

"I don't care."

Cola nodded slowly, "Very well. As I have mentioned before, I was on the rise as a crime lord. Back then there were truly monsters, much of the public record has been expunged to avoid people ever knowing the truth of just how evil Solitas' underworld was. Everything from gladiatorial games in which Faunus were fed to Grimm, to public massacres and bomb attacks."

"So you were a civilizing influence?"

"Indeed, and in the midst of that, your mother came down into that darkness: came to me. At her side was Jett, your father, and she came to me with a proposal; she would support my continued takeover of the criminal underworld. As long as I agreed to a couple of conditions first." He shrugged, "Suffice it to say, I agreed. One of our first operations was rescuing a scientist from a drug lab who had leaked its location and layout to us. That scientist was Serroi; and we became a formidable team and even… friends."

I glanced at him as he paused on that word, as though tasting a long-forgotten flavor. He shook his head.

"It was then, as we continued our conquest, that we realized that there was someone who was backing the most wanton of the crime lords, encouraging and enabling them on to greater cruelties. We never found out who exactly, but it was someone from the High Nobility."

"So that's when you searched for Basmune?" I asked him, gesturing to the weapon.

He nodded, "It was after we had just taken down the last of those crime lords: Dragur Vlacure. Serroi read his mind and found… something." He shook his head, "Whatever it was, it drove him insane. At first, we weren't sure what was wrong, he locked himself up in his lab and didn't contact us for weeks. When he finally did emerge, it was in an attempt to kill Ciara."

He shook his head, "He had somehow managed to gather several criminals we had thought dead and used them in an attack on the Laisren manor."

"He seems to have a talent for that." I remarked drily, "Any idea how he did it?"

"No, if I had, then we might have been better prepared for what we encountered."

"What are our losses like?"

"Terra's dead, along with Pine, and with the Grand Assasin, that makes three of our infiltration team. Kuroi is also injured, but he'll make it."

"What about on the surface?"

"Unknown… in any case, as I have told you before, Ciara spared Serroi, locking him up in a mental ward to see if they couldn't help him."

"Any idea how he escaped?"

Cola grunted, "Grimm attack… a problem that's actually rather common with such institutions."

I frowned, "Huh… never thought about that, I'm guessing he was assumed dead?"

"He was." Cola agreed, "I'm afraid however, that's about where the story ends. He came back, attacked again, and the rest I think you know better than I."

We sat in silence, then I finally stood up, "You're right." I admitted. I looked down at the corpse of the man whose blood I had thirsted for most of my life, "So what are we going to do with the body?"

"We'll take it with us and will be contacting a variety of tests to confirm it's him; then we'll burn it, powder it into dust and toss it into a septic tank somewhere." Cola replied, "A more fitting place for his final resting is hard to imagine."

"Very well… if you'd excuse me."

Cola nodded and I walked back down the hallway; somehow its length seemed far shorter than when I had been pursuing Serroi, and before I knew it, I had emerged into the lab. Leaning with her back against the wall, breathing softly in sleep, was Neo.

I walked over and sat down by her side, letting out a sigh as I looked around at the laboratory. The bodies of Serroi's creations were scattered in pieces, presumably that's what had taken to get them to stop moving.

I put my hand around Neo's shoulder and pulled her close, "It's over Neo." I whispered, "We won." Because I thought it was true. With Serroi's death, a weight that until I had never realized was so heavy had fallen off of my shoulders, and for the first time in forever, I could at last breathe easy. I could now look forward to a better future, one where Neo and I could live together in happiness.

Unfortunately, those kind of futures are only for fairy tales. I'll give you one hint as to how everything went wrong.

It's said that the best liars only ever tell the truth until they need one crucial lie to be believed. It was at that moment, as I was riding high off wiping the boogeyman of Serroi Vertimos out of existence, that Cola had told me one such lie.

And it was in that one lie that so much else follows.


	36. Chapter 36

**Thanks to TehGramerPolise for helping with this chapter.**

* * *

Riding the elevator top side with what remained of our team was like waking up from a dream. It was depressingly more roomy than it had been on the way down, with Madam Bianca and Conner standing on one side, Neo and myself on the other, and Cola standing in the middle with Kuroi in front of him.

When Cola had said that Kuroi had been injured, he had neglected to mention the extent. The Faunus man had entirely lost his left eye, and the rest of his face was covered with bloody lacerations.

True to form however, he had a wide grin on his face as he chatted non-stop, "Boy, I should groove with you cats more often, I mean wow!" He looked around at the rest of us with his remaining eye, the other covered with what appeared to be a strap off a pair of suspenders that he had wrapped around his head. "After all of this, I'm gonna have to find a way to entertain myself."

"Maybe go die somewhere, do us all a favor." Conner growled.

"Ah, c'mon," Kuroi slapped Belmorzh's man on the back, "Don't be such a sourpuss, we just took down the big baddie! Let's forget about our spats in the past and swing together tonight!"

Conner growled slightly under his breath, and turned away. Kuroi shook his head and leaned over to whisper to me.

"Some people are just tone-deaf," He told me, "This is a time for jazz, not drums or organs."

"He did lose a comrade on this raid," I pointed out, "No doubt he's concerned for how the rest of Belmorzh's forces fared."

"I too lost a comrade," Kuroi reached up and pulled up the fabric covering his eye, revealing a sunken, bloody pit. It said much for how horrific some parts of the last twenty-four hours had been that I didn't even feel a twinge. "Life-long and dear to me he was." Kuroi continued, "Poor Benny…"

"You name your eyes?" I asked him.

He shrugged, "Feels only right now that I've only got one left."

"That's an interesting point of vi- logic…" Neo glared at me, as though daring me, "Point of logic."

"Can't say that I can explain it myself, but then again, how many stories are there where someone gains otherworldly knowledge after losing an eye?" Kuroi winked with his one good eye. "I can play the mad seer… so long as I don't have to be a hermit. Not enough sake."

"If you desire a prosthetic replacement, I can recommend a good fabricator." Cola rumbled.

Kuroi looked at the large man's still sparking shoulder, and the sight seemed to strangely perturb the Faunus, "No thanks, the only thing that should be electrical about me is my personality. Besides…" He adjusted the suspender belt back over the hole as the elevator finally came to a stop, "I now have so many choices… eyepatch? Sunglasses? All-natural? The accessorizing world is my oyster!"

The elevator doors opened, allowing a nearly blinding rush of light, I glanced aside at Neo who gave me a nod and we stepped out into a brand new world.

* * *

It turned out that our forces above had taken minimal losses. Serroi's reinforcements had mostly come in the form of light airships and a couple of individuals with stealth and illusion Semblances. However, fairly soon after they had arrived, they had all been forced to surrender or be killed.

Almost immediately after reaching the top, each of the crime lords had split up to be met by their lieutenants. Even the joking Kuroi had turned serious as Hana whisked him off, whispering rapidly. All of them would be assessing their strength and the gains that they had made after the simultaneous strikes. Crime in general fell to nearly all time lows as they all consolidated their gains and rebuilt their forces.

If you're well-versed in recent events, this would be known as Cleaning Night… or the Night of Justice, depending on the source. Because as you can guess, the High Nobility and the other powers that be did not like the idea of the public finding out that there had been all-out war between crime lords one bit. So they had cooperated with the police force to make it look like they had been behind the wide-ranging, simultaneous strikes against Serroi.

For the most part this was eaten up by the public; it was a story of shining heroes that protected them. Not the rag-tag Huntsmen and Huntresses of the other kingdoms, but their great protectors of old. It might be hard to believe, but back then Solitas looked up to the High Nobility much like they do the military now. Go back far enough, and the target of their affection and reverence would have been the King or Queen. Solitas is like that; at any given point, they have to have an authority figure that they can look to as their shining paragon. The problem is that their affections are incredibly fickle, and as you probably know from their attitude towards the King and the High Nobility now; it can flip right around at any time based on which way the wind is blowing.

Anyway, why I say 'for the most part' is that there was a sort of conspiracy theory that made the rounds in which the truth was out. Of course, it got twisted and warped over time, and at this point I'm pretty sure it's unrecognizable.

Where we're going to pick up on my story again is about two month afterward, with how that particular conspiracy theory came about.

* * *

"Whew," Begonia Evengard leaned back, the notepad in front of her covered with scrawling text. "That's a hell of a story."

"I thought you'd like it." I replied.

Begonia had called me a couple of days ago to demand a scoop on just this story; when I had asked her why she had waited so long; she had sighed. "Kiddo, you don't get the alternate story right when the other one is blazing along. You wait until people get just bored and used to all of it that they're ready to hear something else. Also that way you know just how to spin everything to start poking some holes in the narrative."

We had then arranged to meet at Premiere Parte, in the room that was quickly becoming a familiar haunt of mine. It might be horribly cliche, but there was something to having clandestine meetings while eating fine food

"Oh man… I _love_ it." The Faunus woman adjusted her glasses, "First, the High Nobility will absolutely hate it, second, it's gonna absolutely _fly_ off the presses, people eat this kind of conspiracy stuff up, especially in the Faunus community."

Oh yeah, all that stuff I said about people in Solitas looking up to authority figures? Scrap the 'authority' part and try 'rebellious' or 'anarchistic'; for obvious reasons, they tend to not be huge fans of authority figures in Solitas.

I leaned back in the booth, the story I had given to Begonia was pretty much the broad strokes; obviously I left out the more… personal… information. It attested to how fantastical the whole raid had been when that still left it having crime lords fighting each other with tanks and small fleets of airships.

"Alright, so you got your scoop." I said, tapping her notebook with a finger, "You said you had some information for me?"

Begonia nodded as she slipped the notebook off the table and into her trenchcoat, "Sure do; it's about the Atlesian Emergency Council."

I lifted an eyebrow, "The AEC? You've got to be joking."

The Atlesian Emergency Council was a leftover from the Great War. For about a week after Mantle had surrendered due to the defeat in Vacuo, Atlas had attempted to continue the war. Therefore, it had created a governing body whose mission was, quote: 'To operate the affairs of state in the case of the governing bodies of Mantle be otherwise indisposed.'

The people had then foisted three very reluctant members of their community onto that council; who had promptly surrendered as soon as Atlesian and Vacuan forces landed on Solitas. The funny thing was, since as soon as that was over; everybody turned to reforming Mantle's government away from a monarchy; meaning nobody actually bothered to disband the institution; attesting to how absolutely inconsequential and ineffectual it had been

Of course, the people of Atlas, being the cheeky bastards that they were, kept voting for new members for the Council, as a way to spite the new government. Of course, the Atlesian Emergency Council didn't actually have any power, so eventually people just got bored of the whole thing. In the last decade or so, people had begun to even do things like elect statues to sit on the council, as well as a cat.

"I know, but hear me out, first off, this year's council vote had an unusually high turnout. Not so much that the news would be interested, what with all of the aftermath of the raid to chatter about. However, it is enough to be significant."

I frowned, "I'm assuming you have an angle on the reason?"

She reached into her trench coat and pulled out a scroll, which she slid across the table,

"Here are the three new members of the council."

I glanced over the names and then my eyes widened, "Ah… I see what you're getting at."

Begonia nodded, "Sienna Khan; member of the White Fang; more to the point, she's extremely popular among the more radical portions of the organization. Also commonly seen in the company of one Kuroi Akita."

"I've met her, she doesn't seem like the kind of person to hob-knob; in fact, she's hardly diplomatic at all."

"You'd be right there." Begonia allowed, "More to the point, everyone thinks the AEC is a joke. While it's a feather in her cap to gain political office in Solitas; she's not the kind of person with the patience or political guile to use this as a rung on the ladder. Someone's advising her."

"Kuroi." I mused.

Begonia nodded, "That was my thought as well, it would need to be someone she would respect… or fear, enough to listen to."

"Still… it does leave me at a loss," I admitted, "Why bother with such a low position? It's hardly going to teach her how to politic."

Begonia shrugged, "Still looking into that, my guess would be that Kuroi wants to help her move up in the White Fang. For those outside of Solitas, Atlesian Emergency Council sounds like a pretty big responsibility."

I nodded, "True, in addition, as a member of a governmental body, she does receive stipends as well as the capacity to hire government workers. Perhaps the play here is to get more Faunus involved in government." I considered that for a moment, "In any case, thank you for the information; please keep me informed of further developments."

Begonia grinned, "No problem kiddo." She stood up, "Now if you'll excuse me," She patted her trench coat where she had tucked her notepad away, "I have to get this ball rolling. People to see, stories to write, papers to sell, you take care now!" And she walked out the door to the private dining room, closing it behind her.

After she had left, I tapped on the scroll and considered the names once more. There at the top was Sienna Khan, but truth be told, the other two other names had interested me far more.

They were Albmorsa Zheleznaya… Belmorzh's pseudonym, and Blaze Untara, current member on the board of Atlas Academy… also known as Cola Malaika.

Having just one unusual member on an otherwise useless governing body was odd, and perhaps a political move. This… this was something else… perhaps Cola was attempting to create something out of the AEC. Certainly having a distinguished person from Atlas Academy would already give far more credence to the position than it otherwise possesed. Knowing Cola there would undoubtedly be new responsibilities and powers given to the council and thus greater importance.

My mind cast back to Kuroi and Cola talking before the raid, about how Kuroi had a "condition" that he had pressed Cola to accept. Was this it? Was Sienna going to be given an otherwise defunct position in which she would receive credit for bringing it out of irrelevance? It would certainly give her a good measure of clout.

I shrugged before putting the scroll away; I would have Begonia keep an eye on it. Sienna's rise seemed to be the primary goal anyway, so the Faunus reporter would be best suited for the task. No doubt Sienna's position after her term on the AEC would be far more interesting; and I wondered idly just how far she would rise as I stood up from the table.

Of course reader, if you've been keeping track, it turned out that position on the AEC was about to be of the greatest importance. After all, it was only three months after the Night of Justice that another event took place. One that ranks amongst Mountain Glenn as one of the greatest tragedies of the modern era.

One month to go… tick-tick.

* * *

However for the most, those three months after the raid, were kind of… well… rather mundane, save for one event in particular.

I mean, granted it's hard to follow up an event like the attack on Serroi's fortress, and to be honest, a part of me was grateful for the period of rest.

For the most part, things began to fall into a routine. I began to fully delve into the workings of Laisren Aerial Manufactory, working with Sunil and his team of engineers to upgrade our designs and production lines. At this point, I had more or less pruned my board of directors such that they were at least competent and, if corrupt, at least in a way that didn't damage myself or the company.

This increased focus brought back to the fore an issue that I had always viewed more as a curiosity than as a hindrance. That issue was my uncle, Gavin Laisren.

Understandably, the man seemed determined to thwart my every effort, and at times he was even mildly successful, pulling out brilliant maneuvers and schemes that made me almost admire the man. He would find out closely guarded information out of the blue, present a problem with a design or change, and then bombard me with leading questions and lines of reasoning that would have me grasping at straws. All of these successes meant that some members of the board, still smarting from my treatment of them or their peers, would naturally follow his lead. To the point where I would feel like at times that I was almost drowning.

Then he would make a mistake.

It would often be a small mistake, one that to anyone else would be almost inconsequential; but to me, it would be as clear as day. I would seize upon it, grasping at it and taking advantage of it to its limit. The effect was usually that all of the momentum would be lost, with my uncle floundering and blustering. His followers falling silent as they saw their champion go down in flames. It meant that as long as I beat my uncle, that everything else would fall into place.

Was it drugs? Some flaw in his temperament? Just a bizarre form of incompetence? I had no idea, but I had to admit it provided a kind of fun diversion from my usual work.

After all, while I could admire airships, enjoy the efficiency of the production lines, and could find stimulation in creating new innovations. I just simply wasn't my mother; whose greatest joy had been such pastimes.

Upon reflection, she had probably done so because she was incredible at them. I like to think that the emotions of elation that I feel after a well conducted criminal or political act are the same that she would feel after constructing a new airship.

Anyway, to continue the story...

* * *

"You sure you're doing okay up there Lusban?" Neo called from the backseat of the car, "I know my night vision is completely shot with this spotlight beside me."

I scowled fiercely, "I told you, this outfit is at the peak of fashion right now."

"That has never been a good excuse and you know it." She shot back.

I grumbled a little, I was wearing a verdant green suit with a pair of brilliant purple slacks; it was a ravishing ensemble that went perfectly with my hair and complexion.

"I am fine ma'am, however, I thank you for your concern." Lusban responded solemnly, "Besides, I have learned that it helps greatly to not to look into the rear-view mirror, as your own beauty would blind me."

He wasn't wrong there, Neo as usual was wearing a simple white dress, with strings of pink pearls around her neck, brilliantly accentuating her naturally colorful hair and eyes.

We were currently on our way to the Spring Mantle Ball, a party that was one of three hosted each year by the High Nobility Electors: one in the spring, one in the summer, and one in the winter. While the Summer and Winter Balls were open to most of the nobility, the Spring Mantle Ball was far more select, being a more of a 'who's who' of both the Merchant and High Nobility.

Lusban slowed the car down as we came up to the walls of the Royal District.

Right, so before the events that will be occurring pretty shortly in our story, there were three districts in Mantle, the Common, High and Royal Districts. At the time, there were massive stone walls and checkpoints that divided each District from each other. While the divisions between the Common and High Districts were unmanned and were mostly just relics of a time before the Great War, the one between the High and Royal however, was a different story.

"Invitation?" The guard demanded.

Lusban handed over the document that we had received and the guard scanned it with his scroll, which let out a loud beep.

"Very well, follow the signs and please enjoy the party."

The very stone itself shifted and warped, revealing the causeway into the district, and Lusban continued on down the road. In the back, Neo and I took a moment to simply gawk and stare.

The Royal District was the home of buildings that had stood for centuries, leftover from a time where kings and queens ruled in Mantle. All were masterpieces of architecture, ranging from the solid tall walls of the Rustkammer, to the soaring edifices of the Turm der Magier, and the granddaddy of them all and where the party itself was traditionally held: the Palast Der Konigs.

No doubt you've seen pictures, models maybe even, but seeing it in person is something else entirely. To say that its large is laughable, to say that it was grand and imposing is somewhat underwhelming.

There are simply no words to describe adequately the towering minarets at its corners, the fantastic murals and statues that lined its gigantic stone walls. No expressions that can convey how its very existence seems to warp its surroundings. Confronted with it, one can easily imagine the very world, no, the very solar system revolving around its edifices.

Before I knew it, I was standing next to Neo on the long, purple carpet that stretched down the central avenue up to its front doors, still gawking slightly, the enormity of the situation seemed to hit me all at once, and I felt slightly queasy.

Because tonight, the Rashin had not been invited.

I don't think that it's an understatement to say that this was the moment I had been striving towards ever since I had taken over my mother's company. When I had just started, the Rashin had finally managed to wrest control of the Electorship from Laisren Aerial Manufactory; due mostly to a combination of politicking from the family and my uncle, as well as the company's fall to mediocrity.

Now however, due in part to a series of incidents, not limited to but including my successful break in to Fulsom Vault, Lasiren Aerial Manufactory's rise, and the Rashins' precipitous fall from favor with the influential Faunus on the continent. Their own political and economic power had plummeted, as, like my own company, their initial meteoric rise had been due to a single individual. Akuma Rashin had been a genius robotic manufacturer, political mastermind, and a stupidly powerful fighter. At various points in his career, each had been vitally important in advancing the company. However, with his death, his naturally scheming family had begun falling upon one another.

The fact that I had been invited to such a prestigious party held by the High Nobility Electorship while the Rashin had not in my mind could only mean one thing. That the time to truly reclaim my mother's legacy might be upon me.

However, this would be a party filled with the most devious political animals in Solitas, and thus all of Remnant. Just one little misstep here, and all of the financial success in the world wouldn't save me. I could go from top of the world to a nobody with money in an instant; and likely less than that shortly afterwards.

Neo seemed to sense my unease and gave me a nudge, "Hey, c'mon, this'll be a piece of cake, what was that motto again?"

I gave a weak grin, "Lie, cheat, steal," I let out a long, slow breath, "Survive."

She lifted an eyebrow, "What that's it?"

I turned to her and frowned, "Yeah, why?

"It's just that you normally do that thing where you put it onto something, you know… like adapt it to the situation."

I winced, "Oh, yeah, right um…"

I looked back up at the colossal building, "Uh… it was always a lie that my mother's company and thus I wasn't fit to be an Elector, I was cheated out of that position. Thus the only recourse left is to steal it back…"

My mind went blank and Neo chimed in, "And at the end of this party, come hell or high water, we'll survive, just as we always do."

I let out a slight chuckle at that, and instantly an invisible weight seemed to vanish from my shoulders, "Together, nothing can stop us."

She grabbed my hand and squeezed, "That's the spirit. Now c'mon, the sharks are waiting."

And with that, we strode forth to meet them.


	37. Chapter 37

**Thanks to TehGramerPolise for helping with this chapter.**

* * *

The walk down that purple carpet seemed to last an eternity; our steps echoing around the massive vaulted hallway. Our only companions being each other and the silent stone statues that lined the walls; as naturally we were late.

With any event like this, there's a sort of game that should be played with one's punctuality. For example, showing up early would have been an absolutely dreadful faux pas, as it would have made me to appear to be too eager to please, and thus submissive and inexperienced. Showing up on time means that you subject yourself to simply being one of the crowd, and since I fully expected myself to be key to one of the main events of the party that simply wouldn't do. So of course that leaves only being late, but of course just how late should one be?

Even in this there's a game to be played, for if one is just barely late, one might as well just be on time and not bother. However, just as being early would be a faux pas, so too would be being late enough to have missed the keynote speech to kick off the first dances of the party. As that would be perceived as insulting the host, and when your hosts are the Lord Electors that will be deciding whether you sit amongst their august company such things are not wise.

Needless to say however, I had timed it perfection, and thus we arrived at the entrance to the main ballroom, where a man in a suit… and I kid you not, a powdered wig, was about to close the door when he saw us. He paused his action and watched us impassionately as we approached.

"Name and title sir?" He asked.

"Baron Rowan Laisren, first of his name, Master of Laisren Aerial Manufactory." Neo replied for me, "I am Neopolitan Gialatta, first of my name, yojimbo to the Baron."

The man nodded, "Very well, sir… madam, the Electors address is about to begin, by your leave?"

I inclined my head slightly and the man turned about smartly and walked back into the room, "Baron Rowan Laisren, first of his name, Master of Laisren Aerial Manufactory." The man boomed, "Accompanying him is Neopolitan Gialatta, first of her name, yojimbo to Baron Rowan Laisren."

The man then stepped aside to allow us through; I took a deep breath, slapped on my most arrogant smile, and walked out into the room.

* * *

Wow oh wow… they just don't build grandeur like they used to.

I mean Maidens above, the splendor, the glory… crystal chandeliers, exquisite statues, freakin' indoor fountains, masterpieces of art lining the walls. The very floor itself was a tiled mural depicting various scenes from the founding of the kingdom and legends of Solitas' past.

It took just about everything I had not to simply stand there and stare for a moment; instead I swept imperiously into the room like I owned the place. Behind me, I heard Neo's footsteps falter for just a split second before following my lead.

Assembled in the room were approximately a couple hundred or so people, all dressed in fabulous fabrics of every description. There were some that were of the Merchant Nobility, but most of them of the High Nobility, with histories that could be traced back to before the founding of the Mantle. Moving in amongst them were more of the men with powdered wigs, all carrying trays piled high with drinks and foods. Raised up on a pedestal was a small orchestra that were playing a piece that I recognized from the great Solitisian composer Verdania's Eighth Symphony.

The moment that I swept into the room, everyone's eyes turned to me, all movement pausing for just that brief instant; save for the orchestra, professionals that they were.

All of those gazes were appraising, measuring up this newcomer to the Solitisian upper crust. Did I look confident? Was I a genius? A lucky fool? All of those assembled were experienced campaigners in the field of politics and intrigue, and I have no doubt that some were even breaking down their assessment of me to minute enough detail to the point where they were even guessing how I liked to take my coffee (straight, black as pitch; chicory prefered... Neo on the other hand is one of those heathens that pours an entire bowl of sugar in before even taking a single sip). My point is that they would search for any angle, any weakness that could be exploited; an examination as thorough as a any doctor's.

That all being said, it was only for that briefest moment, because the very next second, all of them were performing the same exact assessment on each other. Just how had their neighbor reacted? Were they pleased? Excited? Just what had they seen? Just how did this new Laisren Baron factor into their own plans?

Then of course, everyone returned back to whatever they had been doing before I had arrived, and soon, conversations resumed, and vittles were being consumed.

What I had just witnessed was the heart of a political beast beat, a dance of intrigue conducted with the steps of professionals. And I had to stop an elated giggle from bursting out of my chest.

Dust and bones… I was right at home.

I had scant reached the crowd when the orchestra quieted and a servant walked up onto the podium.

"Ladies and gentlemen, an address by one of our most esteemed hosts: Lord Elector Roth Harkin, third of his name, Lord of the most noble House Harkin. The Conquerors of Highfeather Mesa and the Defenders of Yungtau Pass."

There was a general applause, of which I of course joined in, and everyone turned their attention to the man as he stepped up onto the podium.

"Most esteemed peers of the realm." He began, "It is a privilege and an honor to host you tonight on the eve of the 123rd Annual Spring Mantle Ball."

He held up his arms to indicate the magnificent finery surrounding us, "Here, amongst the old majesty of our nation, we may feast and dance. Always, however, we shall seek new majesty to dwarf even that of old." He lowered his arms, "To that end, we seven Electors of the HIgh Nobility do formally revoke the Electorship of the Rashin family; no longer shall their representative sit amongst us. Although we do thank them for their service."

A distinct ripple leapt through the crowd, an almost electrical energy; yet there were only one or two murmurs. The rest simply waited in silence, attesting to the fact that this alone was news to very few amongst them.

If he was disappointed by the lack of a reaction, Lord Elector Harkin didn't show it as he continued.

"Of course, as you are all aware, this leaves one of the two slots for Electorship for the Merchant Nobility vacant."

I could practically feel the entire crowd lean forward, and even I found myself with my gaze fixed upon the man, hanging onto his every word.

"This of course shall be explained in due time; for now, please enjoy the festivities on this, a most auspicious occasion. "

There was a polite applause from all of those gathered, which of course I joined in as Lord Elector Harkin stepped down and the orchestra resumed playing.

I had barely stepped out onto the floor when my whole world became a whirlwind of activity. Most there had taken the time to read the guest list, and absolutely understood the potential import that my first invitation to the ball just so happened to be when there was a vacancy on the Merchant Nobility Electorship.

There was of course a fairly broad spectrum among those that went up to meet me. The most inexperienced came first, laying on dripping flattery. Those that were more politically astute waited their turn, trying to make approaching me seem as natural as possible. They were usually far more cautious of their praise, but on the other hand they were far more precise, coming off as much more genuine. Neo's head was practically on a swivel, her mismatched eyes appraising and searching constantly for any threat, and each time a new person stepped up with their own yojimbo she would size up her counterpart as we talked.

I had just escaped the attentions of a very enthusiastic merchant when a familiar figure stepped forward.

"Mistress Zheleznaya." I inclined my head in greeting, a small smile on my face, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

The woman grinned and tossed her long silver hair, "Just greeting on this, your first invitation to the Spring Mantle Ball as the representative of House Zheleznaya." She then turned to Neo, "Has it been hard keeping his head small enough to fit in the room?"

Neo gave a small sniff, "No harder than usual." She replied.

I gave a slight cough, "Anyway, you said that you were House Zheleznaya's representative at this occasion, does that mean that the Baron will not be joining us?"

Camille nodded, "Indeed, he is currently consolidating some… assets. Personnel issues have been plaguing a new business venture of his, and he has decided to personally oversee a transition."

Such are the euphemisms that are tossed around at Solitisian gatherings as casually as one might remark on the weather. I nodded, "Very well, thank you for your warm welcome Mistress Zheleznaya, and please convey my regards to the Baron."

She gave a small curtsy, and then disappeared into the crowd.

"Interesting that he trusts her so much to handle the more legitimate business of the family." I noted.

"I kind of wonder if that's kind of the point." Neo mused.

I frowned, "How so?"

She shrugged, "Well think about it; both Madame Bianca and Belmorzh are crime lords… all of their wealth, power, and status could be washed away as soon as they are gone; stolen by a successor or a rival."

She gestured around us, "Everyone wants to leave a legacy for the future." She continued, "I mean, Mantle practically reeks of that desire."

I considered that, "So it's not so much that he's trusting her with a possession of his…"

Neo nodded, "He's allowing her to build a possession for herself, something that even if the criminal empires of her parents fall, they might still be able to leave her something for her future."

I have to admit, I was rather impressed by the insight. I would never have attributed such thoughts to the seemingly boorish Belmorzh. Yet what Neo said made sense, as well as casting the man in a very different light. I won't claim that it made me like the man; after all, he had attempted to beat Neo and myself to a pulp when we had refused to work with him. However, it did make me respect him a good deal more than I had previously.

I was interrupted from that train of thought by a crystal-clear bell that pierced the talking of the crowd. As one, everyone turned once more to the podium to see a servant standing up on the podium once more.

"Honored Guests, please join us in the dining room, the meal is to begin."

* * *

The crowd was led along a massive, vaulted hallway, its ceiling sheathed with gold and its walls covered with murals full of color and beauty.

At its end was a pair of massive, mahogany doors with intricate designs carved into their faces. They opened as we approached to reveal the Mit Halle der Konig, the legendary feasting hall of the royal family.

Its center was dominated by a series of massive, stone tables, upon which a plethora of meats, cheeses, fruits, and other delicacies were piled high. Buckets chilled with Dust crystals were centered between every four chairs, each filled with bottles of the finest wines in all of Remnant. The wealth presented was less staggering than it was nearly obscene. Just one of those buckets of wine represented enough lien to buy a small estate in the High District.

At the head of the table was a much smaller table with seven chairs, the seven Lord Electors were already seated there, conferring with each other in heated whispers.

At the far end of the table was Lord Elector Gelbauch Rathers: the house of diplomats and schemers that had taken over when the House Drummond had fallen from grace.

To his left was the Lord Elector of House Talguard, Aurantius. They were an old, dignified house, full of famous warriors and heroes. They claimed to be able to trace their lineage back to Sir Ursakar, a member of the Four Knights of legend. Looking at him, it wasn't hard to see how that claim had gained traction. He was a large man, with spiky black hair and a broad face. Despite the occasion, he was dressed in heavy plate armor that covered everything but his head; the front of which was decorated with a heap of medals, all detailing past deeds. Of all of the High Nobility the Talguard probably took the responsibility of keeping the Grimm in check the most seriously. Which meant that they were one of the few that had kept their teeth sharp for battle.

To his side was the matron of House Ronston, Addie. The mother of Yarrow Ronston, I wondered if she was angry at me for that incident all of those months ago. The Ronstons were infamous for their ability to hold a grudge.

Sitting in the middle was Roth Harkin, who seemed to be listening to the others, only occasionally nodding or shaking his head to what they were saying. I had heard that he had been gradually taking more of a leadership role on the Electorship Council, and the way that all of them all faced him as they talked only served as a subconscious hint that it was indeed the case.

To his side was an elderly looking man with a shock of red hair, his hooked nose extending out from beneath a set of sunken, beady eyes. Carmesian Rouge, still alive despite some whispers of attempts to take it. He of the group said nothing, just simply staring straight ahead with a scowl on his face.

Feerum of the House Steelhammer sat next to him, the Steelhammer were a family famous for their… go ahead… guess… let me give you a hint, it isn't baking. They had crafted the weapons of kings, queens, emperors, and heroes alike. It had even been them who had engineered the first transforming weapons, although their term for it: Switch-blades, never caught on. Of all of the High Nobility, they had been the most supportive of my mother, although that support hadn't meant anything when Serroi had come knocking apparently.

At the very end of the table sat a hooded figure, who gestured animatedly with their arms as they spoke. Presumably that was Fedha of the House Cognita, a family of scholars and archivists. They were the house responsible for the public records and databases, including but not limited to, the blood bank for identification. They mostly kept to themselves, but they were a key part of what made all of Solitas function.

So distracted however, were all of them, that even as the crowd entered, none bothered to even look up. Before any insult could be caused, the head servant quickly took charge.

"The serving staff will now see you to your places." He declared, the serving staff moved like a well-oiled machine, going to each person and leading them to their designated seat.

To my slight surprise, the head servant headed directly for me, "Baron Rowan Laisren, right this way."

Needless to say, the rest of the room practically paused at this development, everyone's eyes fixating on myself, Neo, and the servant as we walked down the length of the table, to where one individual sat alone; his only other companion a balding, heavyset man with a bushy brown mustache that stood behind him.

As we got closer, I got a better look at the man's features. He was an average sized man, with strong shoulders, and a narrow face, dominated by a prim-looking mustache. His hair was swept back, and he was wearing a white suit, all of which made him look like a model businessman.

The servant pulled out the chair for me and I nodded gratefully as I sat down, Neo taking position behind me to mirror the man's own servant.

"Ah, Baron Laisren," The man across from me inclined his head, "So good to finally meet you in person."

I put on a smile and nodded, "I might say the same about you; Baron Elector Schnee."

* * *

Jacques Schnee, a man who had gone from a nobody to one of the most powerful people in Solitas by saying some wedding vows. Not that he wasn't without his own ability, far from it. He had taken a company that was already one of the premiere Dust corporations and had systematically destroyed his competition until it was the only one left standing. He had left the entire business world astonished as he had emerged from those bloody trenches victorious; however, he did not catch many unprepared.

You see, while I've heard that since my departure from Solitas he has gone about the task making himself a full monopoly on Solitas, but at the time that was not his goal. HIs goal was to be the only Dust producer on industrial scale required by companies like mine. In that endeavour he was immensely successful; companies that had stood since before the Great War fell one by one to buyouts, bribery, and suspicious attacks.

It was a straight-forward enough tactic, if he could hold the Dust that practically all of the other Merchant Nobility depended on to produce their products, then he would rule the Merchant Nobility. The issue is that the Merchant Nobility in preparation had started up their own Dust refineries and secured their own mines. He was still a powerful man, and companies still bought from him, but he did not gain the total control he had sought.

That had all been during my uncle's time, since then he had secured himself one of the two Electorships for the Merchant Nobility. Now, apparently he wished to talk to me more or less alone, as I noted that despite all of the other guests being seated, we were a good ten or so spaces from the nearest other person.

Curious, I briefly wondered if the head table originally had nine seats, and if the reason why the High Nobility Electors had been so incensed was because the good Baron Schnee had not deemed them of this little move.

In that instance, he either really was powerful enough to flaunt the Lord Electors, or he was simply arrogant enough to believe he had that kind of clout. Either way, I would have to be cautious until I learned just which it was.

"How have you enjoyed the festivities so far?" Jacques asked.

"Marvelously," I replied, "I don't believe any words would do the grandeur of the Royal District justice."

"You may be right. I myself find some of it a little overbearing, but I suppose that it is impressive enough on one's first time seeing it."

Oh. It was going to be one of those then. The tone in which he had delivered those words, dripping with just the right amount of world-weariness and patronization to be insulting…

"I suppose so." I agreed lightly, "When one reaches your age, they must be somewhat sick of the splendor surrounding them."

Jacques' right eye twitched just a tad, an obvious and amateurish tell, while I kept on my pleasant expression. I had laid just the right amount of stress on the 'your age', letting the Baron that I too spoke this language.

Rumor had it the man had a portrait of himself in his office behind him from when he had a color in his hair other than white. Personally I found such a thing tacky, and it revealed that there was a certain amount of ill feeling towards Father Time.

Behind us, our companions were engaging in their own little duel, Neo's mismatched eyes staring right into her counterpart's own blue… purple… huh…well that was neat.

The man's eyes were rapidly changing colors, shifting between all of the other colors of the rainbow, Neo was hiding it well, but I could tell that she was slightly annoyed by the performance.

"-Baron Laisren?" Jacques asked, with a tone implying it wasn't for the first time, and I brought my attention back to him; damn it, he had timed that well… nothing for it but to give him the point.

"My apologies, my mind was wondering, what was the question?"

"I was asking just how it felt to now be a part of Electorship."

Hearing those words rocked me, breaking my smile, and my whole facade in general, just as he likely knew they would; and I stared at him in confusion.

"Pardon?" I managed.

Jacques Schnee's eyebrows went up, "Oh my, have they not told you? They were supposed to announce it before the feast."

I frowned, "No, I'm afraid nothing of the sort."

Jacques shook his head, "My mistake, I just arrived you see… well then." He stood up, "Allow me to rectify the situation." He lifted his glass tapped it with his spoon. Instantly everyone's attention riveted onto us.

"All of those assembled today… we celebrate today, the power and majesty of the Kingdom of Mantle." I glanced up at the head table to see a mixture of emotions, Roth Harkin himself had a pleasant enough smile on his face, but the glass in his hand shook slightly as he set it down back on the table. The rest were a mixture of shock, irritation, or in Carmesian Rouge's case, scowling indifference.

"Not only that," Baron Jacques Schnee continued, "But we celebrate the newest member of the Electorship. Please welcome to our most esteemed council, Baron Elector Rowan Laisren!"

What Jacques Schnee had just done was a risk that was almost too wild for me to contemplate. He had utterly stolen the thunder from the Lord Electors. Not only that, but because the other Electors wouldn't be in view while people listened, he very much was implying to all involved that he was the one who had decided to give me the position. That had also been behind his statement to me; because the one who awards a title is usually himself above it, even if just psychologically.

In one stroke, Baron Elector Schnee had usurped not only the Lord Electors, but was also attempting to subordinate me as well. I could feel a drop of sweat forming on my brow as time seemed to freeze.

If I stood up now, I would be joining in that wild risk. After all, we were sitting together and apart from the Lord Electors. It looked for all the world like we were together in the ploy if I decided to play along.

On the other hand, if I even hesitated, I would appear weak, uncertain, and certainly subordinate to Baron Jacques Schnee. If I remained sitting however, then I would be dooming Jacques Schnee's power play, but also any chance that I would have on sitting as Baron Lord Elector; perhaps even permanently. There would be no getting the sight of the Baron Laisren stuck to his seat as more powerful people played the game; seemingly completely cowed by the risk of incurring the High Nobility Electors' displeasure.

In that very moment, my mind was blank as I felt the weight of all of the gazes upon me. No doubt there were some in the room had thought through the consequences of any action I took even faster than I had.

So what the hell did I do?

Lie, cheat, steal… survive.

I stood up, and waved a hand to the crowd.

There was just the briefest moment of hesitation from everyone in the room. All of them knew the power play that had just unfolded before their eyes, and all knew their futures hung in the balance. For whoever clapped first would be undoubtedly singled out for it later.

Then Camille Zheleznaya rose to her feet, her hands slowly pounding together, a wide smile on her face. That opened the floodgate, and all of those assembled rose as well, applauding wildly.

"Thank you!" I yelled out to all of them, "Thank you so much for giving to me the opportunity to serve on the Electorship. The most prestigious position in all of Mantle." Then I turned to Jacques Schnee who nodded, a beaming smile on his face. I extended a hand, which he clasped warmly.

"But I decline." I declared.


	38. Chapter 38

**I've been eager for a while to get to this point in the story, but I have to admit that this chapter feels like it might be the first to suffer from the accelerated schedule I've put myself on; I've done my best, but I'm sorry if that's the case. Thanks to TehGramerPolise for doing his darndest to help with this chapter.**

* * *

Roman leaned back against the wall as he thought about that party. He had watched in vindictive pleasure as Baron Elector Schnee's smile froze, then faded as he stared, wide-eyed.

"Pardon?" The Baron Elector had choked out.

"It is indeed a great honor," Roman had continued, speaking to the crowd, "In fact, truly the greatest that any citizen of the Kingdom of Mantle can receive. However, as the most esteemed Lord Baron Elector Schnee pointed out to me; I am still quite young… after all, this is the very first Spring Mantle Ball I have attended!" He had swept out his arms to indicate the splendor surrounding them. "I feel like I would have much more to bring to the position of Baron Elector when I have gained more experience… particularly if it means attending more parties such as these."

He had made absolutely certain to make eye contact with each member of the High Nobility Electorship as he said that. All of them had nodded in silent acceptance, although Addie Ronston's seemed a little forced, definitely held a grudge about Yarrow then.

The deal he had been making was clear; he was allowing them to save face for now and giving them an opportunity to get their house in order in regards to Baron Elector Schnee. However, he would be back, and he fully expected them to keep him invited to political gatherings until then.

Sure, he had to delay when he would become a Baron Elector. But when he did, he would be doing it on his own terms. Not as a subordinate to someone like Baron Elector Schnee, and certainly not as a pawn in a war between the Baron Elector and the High Nobility Electors.

The interesting twist in the whole event is that Camille Zheleznaya was whispered to have known about my declination beforehand. Which was why she had so easily been the first to applaud when I had stood. I worked behind the scenes with Camille to encourage such rumors. After all, she had risked a good deal in the action, it would have been churlish not to increase her political clout.

He let out a deep sigh; oh that had been a night. His political maneuver had been the talk of Mantle for weeks.

There was a knock on his cell door, "What? Like you'd listen if I said no?" He asked.

The door opened to admit General Ironwood, and damn, the man looked exhausted.

"Oh hey," Roman waved a hand, "I was just thinking of better times. Specifically that time when I rejected being a Baron Elector… what rank were you then? Major, right?"

"Just what are you up to?" Ironwood growled.

"Me?" Roman adopted a wounded expression, "I'm trapped right here… surrounded by Atlas's finest; Remnant's greatest military, or so I've been told. I-"

Ironwood slammed his fist on the wall, "Grimm attacks are on the rise everywhere." He spat, "My men are being pushed back, and it's not just Grimm." He pointed a finger at Roman, "There have been reports of sabotage at key locations… done by someone who knew exactly where to strike."

Roman shrugged, "What? I'm the only one who knows how Atlas's military operates? Who knows your designs?"

He leaned forward, "It sounds like you could really use someone experienced in this kind of thing… maybe you could call Belmorzh… Bianca? Or maybe even Kuroi, I'm sure they could help." He shook his head, "Too bad they're all gone; I guess you should call your buddy, Jacques Schnee, but then again, I've heard he has problems of his own when it comes to White Fang."

"White Fang couldn't do this." Ironwood spat, "Not alone."

"Oh I'm sorry," Roman grinned, "Whoever said they were alone?"

* * *

Neo looked over the smoking remains of the Atlesian air wing and tank squadron in satisfaction. They had been moving to reinforce the crumbling front line, and in doing so, had been only looking for Grimm; they had been totally unprepared when the mines buried in the dirt exploded beneath them.

The air wing had been trickier, but a judicious amount of anti-air weapons, as well as her own prowess, had been enough to bring them down. The communications jammers, courtesy of old contacts, had been equally useful in ensuring that their last moments had been ones of panic and confusion.

Neo looked out over the forest as screams of doomed men and women echoed through the night and she smiled. The reinforcements that they had been depending on would never arrive.

"Ma'am?" One of the White Fang soldiers nervously called, "We've received new orders, you're needed back at the Vytal Festival."

Neo sighed, and the Faunus instinctively cowered; they had seen the sadistic glee in which she had finished off the survivors of the Atlesian forces, as well as how she had destroyed ten Bullheads in the time it would take someone to recite the alphabet. They feared her like they feared few others.

She smiled slightly, _Just one or two… c'mon, just a few flames_. Neo shook her head, scowling. Rowan had been very clear: the White Fang were not to be harmed. Their loyalty was tenuous as it was. They did not need tales of a human woman slaughtering their members.

She turned around and began walking back to their transport; there would be plenty of flames to snuff out. She just needed to be patient…

Just for a little while longer.

* * *

Journal Entry 317

It occurs to me now more than ever that everyone has their strengths and weaknesses.

Now admittedly, geniuses like myself have many more strengths than weaknesses, but I imagine that if I looked hard enough they would be there.

Poor Ironwood… if this was merely him fighting the Grimm, he would probably be fine. He's a smart, if not terribly clever strategist. Probably more important than that, he's courageous and charismatic. Trust me when I say those two qualities can mean life or death when you're leading men and women to fight Grimm.

Then there's Baron Elector Schnee… he had put me in quite the bind with his power play. However, if there's one thing that I learned about Mr. Schnee, it's that he is an excellent businessman; in fact, as much as it hurts me to admit it: one truly without peer. The problem is that he cannot understand people. Or rather, there's a part of him that refuses to understand people. People to him are numbers with different variables and qualities that can all be boiled down to a business plan.

Considering how he has reportedly treated his own daughters, it sounds like there is truly no exemption from that viewpoint. Heck, his own wife went from one of the most desirable and smartest women in Solitas, to being a tee-totaling drunkard after being around him for less than ten years. If that doesn't tell you something about the man, I don't know what will.

In any case, I had sacrificed, but I had escaped from Schnees grasp. I had survived, but that clock I mentioned before was still ticking.

And at the time we continue our story, it's mere minutes to midnight.

* * *

"As you can see Baron, our Dust prospecting operations have been quite successful in the region." Sunil reported, "The locals have been quite cooperative in aiding us after we helped improve their village defenses."

I nodded as I looked over the figures that the Faunus had sent me, "So the deposits appear to be mostly of red and blue varieties correct?"

"That's correct, however there is some indication that there might be some yellow ones as well."

"What kind of quantity are we looking at?" I asked, tapping a pen idly against my desk.

"Baron… initial reports indicate at least Grade 8."

The pen flew out of my hand and I sat in shock for a moment, "8?" I squeaked.

Right, so when judging the sheer amount of Dust in a mine, there are different grades that give ranges of yield. 10 is the highest and the only known one of those is in Mistral, the Dragon's Breath Mine; benchmarked at around 100 million tons total and had essentially fueled Mistral's conquest of Anima . A Grade 8 was around 30 to 40 million tons estimated of total Dust available. In other words, we had potentially hit a jackpot; with this much Dust, we could potentially cut our reliance on third party Dust (most notably Schnee Dust) to maybe one third of our current.

"What's the estimate on mining operation set up?" I asked him.

"Mr. Wharfton estimates at four months we can have a one thousand ton yield per quarter. At a five hundred yield growth every two months following for the first two years." Sunil replied.

I leaned back in my chair as I thought for a moment, "Ask him that question again if he has double the budget and allowance of transport airships. Effective immediately."

Sunil chuckled, "No doubt he'll be ecstatic."

"Good, the feeling is going around." I answered, "I'll look into increasing security detail as well, just in case there are any… incidents. I'll leave you to deliver the news."

"Understood, Sunil out."

I ended the call and set down the scroll. After my encounter with Baron Elector Schnee I had upped our Dust mining and refining capacities in preparation for any mysterious price hikes or sudden shortages on contracts with Schnee Dust Company. Sure enough, they had come thick and furious as snow in a blizzard. Our stock had dropped steadily as production slowed to a crawl, forcing us to pay compensation and place discounts in order to keep our clients grumbling rather than screaming.

It had been Sunil's idea to reach out to some of the smaller Faunus settlements to enlist their help finding Dust deposits in exchange for protection from Grimm and the elements, as well as medical care. It made for both excellent press, as well as some damn fine results.

I got up from my chair, and picked up the pen from where it had landed on the floor, placing it neatly back on my desk, before walking out of my office.

Roaming the halls of Laisren Manor always inspired a strange kind of calm within me. Its splendor now seemed to pale beside all of the other palaces and mansions I had since encountered, yet there was a certain kind of homeliness about that I found soothing.

I made my way down the now familiar halls, as I went on, the sound of metal ringing against metal became louder and louder until I arrived at a set of steel doors that I pushed open, closing them behind me.

* * *

The room beyond those doors was essentially an immense cube of metal, with heavily reinforced walls and floor. In the center was a stone platform upon which were Neo and Camille, the former's umbrella clashing against the latter's blade as the two circled and dashed at one another.

I leaned back against the wall as the two continued to spar, moving in an elegant dance that I watched in appreciation.

Finally, on an unspoken signal the two retreated, and then saluted one another before chatting eagerly. I grinned slightly, no doubt it was once again effusive praise on each other's martial skill. The two had become incredibly close, quickly becoming friends as much as sparring partners. As they chattered along, part of me couldn't help but compare the shattered little girl in the mines and this confident young woman and feel my heart grow big in my chest.

I was interrupted as a message came over my scroll, I read it, then looked back up to see the two looking over at me.

"Alright Neo," I called, "It's time to go."

The two turned back to each other and Camille said something that made the two giggle and then they bowed to each other before Neo broke off and headed over to me.

"What was so funny?" I asked her.

She tossed her hair, "Oh nothing, just girl stuff, you wouldn't understand."

I lifted an eyebrow, "Oh c'mon, I talk to you about guy stuff."

"What guy stuff? You don't _do_ guy stuff."

"Sure I do."

"Like what?"

"I watched a hockey game."

"You did that to ingratiate yourself with that Vacuan investor!"

"Yeah, but I still did it, and I talked to you about it."

"You were venting about how it was stupid and boring!"

"See, but I talked with you about it."

"Fine, unlike yours this was fun and amusing."

"That's it? C'mon..."

"Nope."

* * *

We went back and forth, idly bickering all the way to the landing pad where Lusban was patiently waiting outside with a Bullhead, his form this time of a tall man with black hair. He bowed and lowered the ramp before us, and we took our seats as Lusban took the controls.

"I apologize in advance, Baron Laisren," He interjected between one of our verbal volleys, "There has been an unusually large Grimm presence north of Mantle, we shall need to take a slight detour to our destination. Total trip should be about two hours."

I frowned, "Interesting, have the High Nobility sent out a response?"

Lusban nodded, "Indeed, the Talguard in particular were most eager; apparently it's quite the pack."

"Hmm…" I scratched my chin in thought, then I pulled out my scroll and sent a message to Sunil, 'Have ground attack squadron in Mantle on stand-by for potential reinforcement to north.'

I sent it off, I doubted it would be needed, but on the off-chance it was, it could mean major PR and political points if Laisren Aerial Manufactory was first on the scene.

"Lifting off now," Lusban announced, "Heading now to Waystation 832."

I leaned back in my chair and looked out the window as we rose above Mantle, it was finally time to meet Dr. Gosha.

* * *

Fortunately our entire trip was much less complicated than our last attempt. No one shot at us, and even the weather cooperated for the most part. We made good time and arrived at the waystation after probably about fifty minutes after takeoff.

The waystation was essentially a fortress, surrounded by high walls with gun emplacements all along its length. We stepped off the airship and were ushered inside by an anxious looking man with glasses several sizes too large for his face.

"Do-Doc-Doctor Gosha wi-wi-will be with you shortly." He told us as he brought us into a small office, "P-P-P-Please take a seat."

We sat in the two cushioned chairs in front of the desk, and I took in our surroundings. To say that Dr. Gosha surrounded herself with her work would be an understatement. The walls were haphazardly plastered with diagrams and maps. Below those were four book shelves on either side that absolutely groaned with the weight of models and books, all of them related to Grimm. It was not lost on me that at least a quarter of those books were published by the good doctor herself.

"Not a speck of dust," Neo noted softly. While she was correct, as either Dr. Gosha had a meticulous housekeeper, or the objects in her office did not lay idle often; it was also her phrase to tell me that the office appeared to be clean of bugs. There was going to be some pieces of this conversation I would really prefer not to have overheard.

I nodded to her and at that moment, the door to the side of the desk opened and a woman with dark frazzled hair in a white lab coat stepped in.

"Welcome Rowan!" She said grinning slightly as she sat down in the chair, "Glad you could come up to our neck of the woods". I blinked slightly at the informality but recovered quickly.

"Hello, Dr. Gosha." I replied.

"So!" She rubbed her hands together, "I've been told that you were interested in my little naval project."

"The Poseidon project, yes."

She rolled her eyes, "I always thought that name was a little presumptuous, but some smooth talking jackass told me that it sounded more kosher than Super High Intensity Tactical Sonar."

I hesitated, "Uh… isn't the acronym for that…"

"I know right?" Dr. Gosha gave a snort of laughter, "But seriously that's what it is, as opposed to Poseidon where it sounds like it controls water or something."

"I suppose so." I allowed; still trying to come to terms with the raw unprofessionalism that the doctor was conducting herself with, "In any case, I wanted to talk about a couple of things before we get onto that subject."

Dr. Gosha smacked her forehead with her hand, "Oh damn, that's right, can I get you anything to drink? I've got some Buster's if you want."

"Just some water please." I answered.

"Right," She pressed a button her desk, "Oliver, two glasses of water, my office."

"Y-Y-es ma'am."

She leaned back and opened a drawer and pulled out an indecently large container of a brown liquid that she uncorked. I practically gagged as the smell of something akin to nail polish remover wafted through the air. She kicked the bottle back and set it down with a _thud_ , letting out a satisfied sigh.

"Hits the spot." She declared.

The door behind us opened and the anxious man from before handed Neo and I two glasses of water. We thanked him and he nodded before stepping out of the office.

"So, back to the subject at hand." Dr. Gosha said, "Our current estimates put the project at several billion lien for the initial testing; at that point we should have a clearer picture of what the further estimates will be."

I took a sip of the water and set the glass down on the desk, "So what is the range of Grimm that you hypothesize this will affect?"

Dr. Gosha shrugged, "All of them." She said simply.

I frowned, "Right, but what exactly is the effect this device will have on say, a Mako, as opposed to a Charybdis?"

"Complete deterrence of a distance of at least three kilometers." She answered.

I raised an eyebrow, "So there's absolutely no difference hypothesized based on type of Grimm?"

Dr. Gosha shook her head, "Absolutely none, but that's what the initial testing is for."

"Right…" I scratched my chin, "I've heard something about a Grimm called a 'Monochrome'. What about that?"

The reaction was instant, Dr. Gosha's face went completely white and her eyes went wide as she stared at me. "Where did you hear about it?" She demanded.

I shrugged, "I have my sources." I replied. "You were involved with a project called 'Monochrome, and the readings implied it was a Grimm of some kind.

"What you're asking about is classified, as in, like… major classified."

I raised an eyebrow, "Oh? Classified by who?"

Dr. Gosha shook her head, "Look I don't know where you heard about that project, but I ain't talking. So let's get back to the matter at hand shall we?"

I leaned forward in my chair, "You are aware of course that we are an aerial manufactory?" I asked her.

She frowned, "Yeah?"

"So doesn't it strike you as strange that we are investing in a device for sea vessels?" I asked her.

She shrugged, "Hey, it's your money; airships… ships… what's the difference?"

"Well, it's just that one might wonder if perhaps we were trying to purchase something else, rather than that device." I continued.

Dr. Gosha snorted, "Then maybe you should just say so."

I blinked slowly, "Um… maybe, but the fact stands that maybe we couldn't exactly just come out and say they were purchasing one thing, so we paid for another with the… _understanding_ that we were buying something else."

Dr. Gosha scratched her head and took another pull of that disgusting brown liquid, "I don't follow."

I could feel my face flush slightly and I heard a slight cough, I glanced over to see that Neo was trying very hard not to laugh. I ground my teeth, "Then allow me to make this as monosyllabic as possible." I said as calmly as I could. "I will fund your project, if you tell me what I want to know about the Monochrome."

Dr. Gosha's mouth went into an 'o' as she understood and her expression became conflicted as she swirled the bottle of alcohol idly in her hand. "I mean…" She began slowly, "I suppose as long as it is absolutely understood that you heard absolutely _none_ of this from me."

I nodded, "Of course."

Dr. Gosha sighed slightly, "Alright…" She set the bottle down, "So you know how Grimm are attracted to fear, anger, all of those kind of things?"

I nodded, "Of course."

Dr. Gosha nodded, "Well, so that's just part of normal life right, I mean, people steal, hurt, and kill, just kind of situation normal. If any of that becomes too much, then Grimm will come in droves because of all of the negative emotions."

"Right, that's how towns can be wiped out."

Dr. Gosha tapped a nail on the desk, "So what happens during a war?"

I raised an eyebrow, "Grimm come swarming, humanity has lost more towns and cities during wartime than at any other point, despite the increase in arms technology and production, as well as overall militarization that comes with it."

"Correct." Dr. Gosha, "But there's something else that has been… theorized that could happen." She spread her hands, "This theory in particular has to do with the Great War. You had not only hundreds of thousands of people living in negative emotions;you had people that were using their intelligence, their active mind to think about how to actively encourage those emotions."

"Like how certain… families of Mantle, were heavily involved in obliterating villages and brutally executing prisoners?"

Dr. Gosha grimaced, "Yeah, but it wasn't just them, you had thousands of people whose waking moments were entirely dedicated to destroying other people, using their creativity and intelligence for cruelty, death, and destruction. It's believed that out of that something… else… formed; a kind of evolutionary stepping stone for the Grimm."

"The Monochrome?" I asked.

Dr. Gosha nodded, "Yeah, that's the theory at least."

"And this theory… has it been proven?"

Dr. Gosha hesitated for just a moment too long, then shook her head, "No, the reason why it's classified is that it's the kind of theory that, were it to become public, it could generate all kinds of problems with negative emotions."

"So no one say… journeyed with an expedition to find a weapon said to be connected to the Monochrome, perhaps with a certain Cola Malaika?"

Dr. Gosha's grip abruptly tightened on the bottle of alcohol, "How… how did you know about that?"

I shrugged, "Your name was mentioned in some documents my people recovered, I then put a couple things together, like how you knew the area for the Proteger expedition so well; it was the same area based on the coordinates found in the documents relating to the Monochrome."

The woman's expression was like that of a cornered animal, her eyes wide and her breathing quickened slightly, "You have no idea what you're messing with." She told me.

"Exactly, that's why I'm trying to learn." I said firmly, "Tell me everything; or I don't put a single lien toward your project."

The woman bit her lip, "No one will know I told you this?" She asked.

"No one." I assured her.

She bowed her head, hesitating, then finally: "It all began when I was studying a series of texts predating the Great War." She explained, "As you well know there were issues with Grimm all the time, even sometimes necessitating truces as they dealt with them."

She bit her lip, "Then I found one record in particular… one that described of Grimm that had been, for lack of better term… infected with something. A strange white and gray fungus that grew along their backs and sides. From the account, those Grimm affected displayed a higher level of intelligence, coordinating in ways thought impossible. However, they never left a 20 square kilometer area."

She let out a long slow breath, "But then that changed in the year after the war, a full on alliance was required by all four kingdoms to drive them back; but it was done. However, when it came to the cave that was believed to be the source, the King of Vale entered alone. A few days later, all of the infected Grimm just… died, fell over dead and dissipated into dust; then the king emerged."

She shook her head, "He spoke of a dark, whispering creature, but he had defeated it, sealing it away; the survivors coined the term 'Monochrome'. Then all of them tried their best to forget about the whole thing. The weirdest thing though is that whoever was recording all of that got really paranoid towards the end. Started writing things about how something was hunting him and everyone else that had been on the expedition. Past that, it's just ravings and rants."

She grabbed the bottle of alcohol and took a deep drink, gasping as she slammed it back down, "Damn my curiosity." She hissed, "I conveyed my findings to an old colleague of mine because he had a bunch of contacts with mercenaries that I hoped would protect me as I investigated the area."

She laughed, "Next thing I know, Cola Malaika and his little pal show up at the door. Offering their 'services' free of charge… save for an artifact they believed to be present at the site."

She shook her head, "I knew it was too good to be true, but I agreed anyway. We ended up going way deep into the cavern system 78 Alpha." She saw the blank look on our faces, "The one that goes really far down into the main chamber." She explained.

"Sure there were Grimm around it, but Cola went in armed for bear. He and that Bayard guy absolutely tore through everything that got in our way. Just like the writings I found though, they were all infected with that weird fungus stuff, the growths becoming larger and more pronounced as we got closer to the main chamber. We reached the main Proteger crystal cluster, and there we found two things. The first was a revolver, at first glance the only thing weird about it was its size; what was far stranger was the… _thing_ that was wrapped around it."

Dr. Gosha shuddered, "I'd thought I'd seen everything." She told us, "I'd seen Nuckalavee, Korokoi, hell, I'd even seen a damn Manta. I'd seen villages snuffed out in an instant, people mutilated by all kind of Grimm." She shook her head, "But I was wrong." She took another drink, "So wrong," She continued, "It was like a human, but… _melted_ , wrapped around the weapon, its flesh was a mix of white and black, like it had been printed out of a machine rather than born."

"I thought it was bad then… but then it _spoke_." She shook her head, "I didn't understand anything it said, all I know is that it felt like something had crawled into my skull and died. I hit the ground, covered my ears… pretty sure I screamed a little, and Bayard went down with me."

She sighed, "But Cola? He just walked right up to the damn thing and started talking back; I don't know how much time passed… seemed like forever. Then I noticed the creature's voice was getting quieter and quieter… finally the damn thing shut up, and when I looked up it had disappeared."

She leaned back in the chair, "He picked up the gun, and said that we had got what we had come for."

"Basmune…" I whispered to myself, but Dr. Gosha surprised me by letting out a harsh bark of laughter.

"Basmune?" She shook her head. "I have it on good authority that the Headmaster of Beacon recovered that weapon ten years ago."

The woman bit her lip and then leaned forward, "Besides Basmune might be a powerful-ass weapon, but there's no way it could do what I saw it do after we left the cave." She paused for a moment, then continued, "When we got to the surface, the Grimm came out of the damn woodwork; Beowolves, Ursas, Nevermores, you name it, Cola and Bayard were killing it; but as they finished them off, one of them got Bayard."

She traced a finger across her chest, "An Ursa Major clawed him right across the chest, then he got impaled by a damn Goliath… dead instantly. Hit the dirt a corpse."

My heart sank slightly as I imagined the kindly Bayard so mortally injured; then I frowned, "So Bayard was definitely dead then?" I asked her.

She nodded, "Yeah, I know what you're thinking and I'm getting to that. Anyway, after that Cola went insane, he picked the Ursa up and clubbed the Goliath to death with it, beat both of them to a pulp, the rest of the Grimm never stood a chance."

She bit her lip, "Then Cola did the damndest thing, he picked something off the ground, I think it was a casing from one of the rounds he shot from the weapon. Whatever it was, he ate it, swallowed it right up."

She spread her hands apart, "Next thing I know, _poof_ , he's gone… vanished into thin air. I don't know for how long he was gone, maybe a few seconds at most. Just long enough for me to worry about what the hell I was going to do, when suddenly Bayard sat up and started coughing."

She gave a weak grin, "After I had calmed down from seeing somebody come back to life. I helped him get up and that's when I noticed his wounds had all healed; sure they ended up turning into a bunch of nasty scars, but it sure as hell beat the alternative. Anyway, Cola came back shortly afterward, just kind of popped back into existence."

"So you think that Cola used the weapon… or that creature, to bring Bayard back to life?" I asked her.

She shrugged, "It'd be a hell of a coincidence otherwise. Of course, no matter how much I pestered Cola, he just stonewalled me with some cryptic bullshit, something like 'I made a deal' was the most I got out of him."

She shrugged, "Anyway, that's really all I know, after we got back, Cola let me run some tests on the weapon and we found out the thing actually has freakin' vital signs; sure they were muted and kind of wonky like most Grimm, but they were there. That's when I 'noped' straight out of that endeavour; and Cola told me to keep my mouth shut. Okay he said it a lot more nicely, but until now, I've complied."

She leaned back in her chair, "Anyway, barely a week later, he led a coup in Red Avalanche, absolutely cleaned house and rebranded the gang as Red Snow instead. Changed their modus operandi to a lot less bloodshed and suffering, a lot more smuggling and largely victimless crimes."

I leaned back in my chair, "Well…" I finally managed, "That's a hell of a tale."

Dr. Gosha shrugged, "Take or leave it, all of it's true."

"And you really think that thing was this… Monochrome?" I asked.

The woman nodded, "Everything checks out." She said, "Although I wish I weren't so convinced." She took another draught from the bottle and then looked between the two of us. "Alright, I told you what you wanted… now you better pay up."

"Of course," I said, standing up and I pulled a check out of my coat, laying it down in front of her. "Go nuts."

She didn't even move, looking sullenly up at us with red-rimmed eyes, we left her like that, a drunken mess with all the lien she could have wanted sitting in front of her.

* * *

"Do you really believe any of that?" Neo asked me.

I considered that as we walked to the airship, "I don't know." I admitted, "But it certainly-"

I was interrupted as Lusban ran out of the airship, "Baron Laisren! There's a Code Black!"

I frowned, Code Black was the signal that was given whenever a town's defenses had fallen and Grimm had begun flooding in, "Sounds like we'll be getting those PR points." I joked as I keyed in on my scroll to call Sunil to deploy the ground attack squadron. "Where to?"

Lusban looked up at me, "Baron Laisren… it's Mantle."


	39. Chapter 39

**Thanks to** **TehGramerPolise for his help** **with this chapter**

* * *

 **So I've been asked about the hinting of more material relating to Neo at the very least inside the upcoming Volume of RWBY and how I feel about it.**

 **I have to admit that the feeling is very mixed. On the one hand I am excited to potentially see at least one of them return. On the other however I'm kind of nervous for a myriad of reasons. For one my entire story could be toppled into being completely AU from literally one off-hand line. For the other, I will freely admit that one of the scenes I have agonized and thought over continuously is Neo's initial reaction to losing Roman. In addition, one of the key components in the story that I have struggled mightily to keep in line gives me an option in how I want to handle Roman post-Fall of Beacon. If RWBY decides to have Roman stay dead, it gives me a very exciting option moving forward.**

 **And I could see all of that just undone right before my eyes. Roman could come back alive, and/or we could see on screen how Neo reacts. No longer will my story be existing in a vacuum where I can still possess a large amount of originality while still keeping it at least somewhat canon. There would then be something on screen to compare it to; and I will only have my own words to attempt to match it in terms of emotional weight.**

 **So to sum up: I'm excited to see potentially one or both of them come back. However, there's nothing quite like the punch to the gut to have someone else beat you to a scene that you've been constructing in your head for well over a year at this point. What if it's so good that you just can't compare? Or maybe even worse, what if you hate it and feel like it could've been done better?**

 **For now, I'll just try to finish the story I started, and hopefully it can stand on its own merits. Sorry for the whining.**

* * *

I must have stood there, frozen for a whole minute, a part of my mind fully expecting Lusban to make some kind of correction or to start laughing as a part of some kind of joke.

Mantle? The capital itself? What in all of Remnant-

"Rowan." Neo put her hand on my shoulder and squeezed hard, snapping me back into reality.

"Lusban, get the ship started up," I commanded, as I began striding forward, "Neo, get on the horn, and get me a confirmation on that Code Black, I'm going to contact Sunil and get an update on the status of that ground attack squadron."

WIthin seconds the airship was in the air and screaming through the sky, my scroll had barely started ringing before Sunil had picked up.

"Baron Laisren." He greeted me cooly.

"Sunil, what in the hell is going on?" I demanded.

"My apologies Baron… we're trying to desperately gather information ourselves, we've lost contact with the ground attack squadron."

"So they've been taken out then?" I asked.

"Unknown, but presumably yes." Sunil responded.

"Damnit." I growled, "Any word from the city itself?"

"None sir." Sunil answered.

I leaned back in my chair as I thought furiously, I was running blind here, there was no telling what was happening in Mantle. Finally, I shook my head, "Sunil."

"Yes Baron?"

"I want you to get every single pilot and airship you can scrounge together. Turn all of our production to get all of those ships combat ready and have them all rendezvous at Mantle. Use whatever financial incentives you need to to get people to sign on."

"Understood Baron… but what about you?"

"We're going to Mantle." I answered.

The Faunus man's eyes went wide, "Baron, that's insane, the amount of Grimm that it would have taken to breach Mantle's walls… there's got to be thousands of them."

"Yet we can't get a single signal to confirm the Code Black, nor even this massive Grimm pack." I responded, "I'm not going to show up to Mantle with a massive war fleet just after rejecting a position on the Merchant Nobility Electorship just because of a communication error. I am going in person and survey the situation, call me if there is any word on your end."

Sunil bowed his head, "Yes, Baron Laisren, it will be done." He hung up and I put down the scroll, before turning to Lusban.

"You heard me, chart course to Mantle, be on the lookout for Grimm, Neo continue monitoring for any signals."

The two of them nodded and the airship turned as we headed for the capital.

As it did so I keyed Cola's number into the scroll, and then frowned fiercely as the scroll failed to connect. I tried again, but once more there was no response and I cursed; wherever my old mentor was, he was unavailable.

Abruptly the interior of the cockpit darkened and I looked up in surprise.

"Um… that can't be good." Neo muttered.

I stepped up and looked out the window in disbelief; straight ahead, hanging in the sky had been the sun.

Now it was completely blocked out: a full solar eclipse… except whatever was blocking it out, it wasn't the moon.

To this day, no one knows just what blocked out the sun starting that day, and thank the Maidens it's never happened again.

The Three Days of Darkness had begun.

* * *

We were about thirty minutes out when suddenly the radio squawked to life, a mess of garbled words that could barely be made out.

Neo's hands flew across the radio's controls and soon it was intelligible, "This is Aqua Taltania of Lasiren Aerial Security Squadron 22 are any Mantle forces reading me? Repeat: Aqua Taltania of Laisren Aerial Security Squadron 22 to any Mantle forces."

"So they weren't lost…" Lusban murmured.

I frowned as I beckoned for the receiver, which Neo handed over to me, "This is Baron Laisren." I responded, "Report in."

"B-baron Laisren, sir!" She stammered back, "Sir, the situation is completely FUBAR."

I bit back a frustrated growl, "I see… can you perhaps be a bit more _descriptive_?"

"Sir, yes sir." She took a deep breath, "Sir, the Grimm… there were far more than originally believed, at least four thousand strong. The Talguard were completely overrun, and the Mantle Army forces with them broke protocol and retreated directly back to the city. The Grimm followed right behind them. Last we heard was a Code Black before something took out the CCT tower."

I heard Lusban curse softly. It was long established military doctrine that military forces retreat away from populated areas. No doubt the supposed safety of Mantle's high walls and the prospect of reinforcements had been too much of a temptation. The fact that the CCT tower was down explained a good deal about the lack of communication from the city as well.

"Are there any Talguard survivors?" I asked Aqua.

"Yes Baron, two, both heavily wounded, Lord Elector Aurantius is confirmed killed."

I closed my eyes, damn it, Aurantius was one of the strongest warriors in Mantle… his would be a bitter loss if we were to try and hold the city.

"Any word on the forces within the city?"

"Very little sir, the Common District was being overrun when we performed our last pass."

"What's your supply situation looking like?" I asked her.

"Sir, bad, we have barely enough fuel to make it to Atlas, and the last bit of our armament are about seven anti-air rockets and about forty seconds worth of burst between the ten of us."

I closed my eyes and nodded, "Understood, get back to Atlas and get those two survivors medical care. You are then to rendezvous with Sunil and tell him I wanted that fleet here yesterday, is that understood?"

"Yes Baron, but if I might ask, what are you going to do?"

I grinned, "This airship has a complement of thirty air to ground rockets and enough ammunition to blow a flock of Gryphon from the sky. I plan to use some of that, as well as to view the situation with my own eyes."

"Sir… the amount of Grimm…"

"You have your orders Aqua." I said calmly, "Now _go_. Baron Laisren over and out."

I hung up the receiver and Neo lifted an eyebrow at me, "I'm sorry to say this, but if there's really as many Grimm as they say, then we're just going to be a drop in the bucket."

I nodded, "You're right, our real objective is the CCT tower."

Neo's eyes narrowed, "You're going to repair it?"

"No, quite the opposite." I answered, "All CCT towers are powered by a massive amount of electrical Dust, amongst a myriad of others: with enough energy to kick a Bullhead from here to Menagerie and the tower in Mantle is the largest in all of Remnant."

I swiped on my scroll and called up the blueprints… acquired courtesy of the Rashin heist; it turned out that the design of the King Tiger battlestaff was similar enough that they had included the blueprint for the CCT towers for reference.

I began keying in some figures, "I'm going to use it to create a big-ass lightning storm and fry those damn Grimm; at least the ones in the air. That way when Sunil arrives with that fleet we'll have clear air superiority."

"I can see why you didn't tell her about that part ." Neo commented, "That's insane."

I gave her a rueful grin, "I also don't want it anywhere on record that I'm going to be the cause for the Mantle CCT tower suddenly going up in a massive electrical explosion… unless it works really well, then I might."

Lusban cleared his throat, "Baron sir? We have visual contact with Mantle."

Neo and I looked out the cockpit window.

"Ohhhh wow." Neo breathed.

"That…" I swallowed nervously, "Is a _lot_ of Grimm."

* * *

As far out as we were it was impossible to make out individual Grimm; instead it looked like a black and white wave had swallowed the land surrounding Mantle. The sky above the city was darkened with a black, swirling cloud that reminded me uncomfortably of the insect Semblance that Serrioi's man had possessed.

"Alright, so first problem." Neo stated calmly, "Getting past _that_."

"Easier than you'd think," Lusban replied, "Airships like this are faster than Grimm, you just can't stop or else you get swarmed."

"Second problem," She peered through the window, "It's not like the CCT tower has a big sign on it."

She was right, the CCT tower was a tall structure, but so were a lot of buildings in Mantle, we would have to weave our way through to it, however…

"It's not like we'll be guessing where it is," I told her, "We have a map."

Lusban nodded, "Right, but with the CCT tower down, all geo-positioning systems will be malfunctioning as well. Also, we'll have to go through the city's skyline itself in order to avoid attracting the Grimm's attention for as long as possible."

I thought quickly then nodded, "Alright, Lusban, call up a map of Mantle, I'll be piloting, Neo, as soon as we're in range, I want you to jump us to the tower."

"You make it so sound simple." Neo muttered as I took the controls, "There are easily a million things that can go wrong."

"Nonsense, thousands, tops."

"Why not just wait for Sunil and the fleet?"

I leaned back in the chair, "I want you to think about something, Sunil is going to be showing up with a bunch of pilots who have little to absolutely no combat experience. They're already going to be nervous and jittery, then they're going to see that." I jerked my head at the swirling cloud of Grimm. "They might be fine with the first couple of salvos, but then the Grimm are going to come at them. Keep in mind, lot of the ships Sunil is bringing are not going to be combat ships, and a good deal of them are going to be leisure craft that have weapons strapped on. They'll be comparatively slow and non-maneuverable."

Neo grimaced, "The pilots will be aware of the fact that if things go bad they won't be able to escape, that will cause them to panic. The primary thought will be that you don't have to outrun the Grimm… just the people who run last; a total rout."

I nodded, "Exactly. That's why we need to thin out the Grimm in the air. Even the most raw recruit can hover in the air and blast Grimm on the ground that can't touch them; it's in the air to air fighting that they'll be vulnerable."

Neo gave a small sigh of defeat and put her hand on my shoulder, "Alright, I'm convinced."

"Lusban?" I called.

"Ready Baron."

I took a deep breath as I hit the throttle of the airship and it launched towards the city.

* * *

Diving into a Grimm infested city may seem like suicide, but much as Lusban had mentioned, any airship designed for speed will be much faster than any Grimm. However, the second part is that while all of us were undoubtedly nervous about the prospect, none of us were truly afraid.

The Grimm were feasting on fear when we arrived.

Even as we flew, I could see the destruction, could see people fleeing, their screams mingling with the roars and screeches of the rampaging Grimm. Buildings that had stood since before the Great War were in ruins; public works such as heroic statues and lavish fountains had been reduced to rubble. Everywhere I looked I could see a city being obliterated from the face of Remnant.

In some places there were pockets of resistance; brights spots where civilization still stood as people fought back against the rampaging Grimm. Non-combatants streaking past as they fled deeper into the city. However, from my vantage point I could see even those bright spots being snuffed out as the Grimm overwhelmed them.

As I saw it all in the back of my mind I wondered how long it would take for Mantle to recover, and I didn't just mean in terms of its structures. Although Maidens knew that the CCT Tower's destruction alone would cost a crippling amount of lien and manpower. In addition, during that time all communication would be cut off, save for what could be covered by transmission radio. Without a significant effort to construct and protect a relay-transmission system, the city would be effectively deaf, blind, and mute. The entire head of a nation cut from its shoulders.

However, that all would be paltry before the psychological damage. Mantle's tall walls, its shining towers, and stout stone mansions had all given it a veneer of invincibility. That would be gone now, and the inhabitants would always be on the lookout, half-expecting another disaster such as this at any moment. Which of course, with Grimm is a self-fulfilling prophecy; Mantle would never again stand as tall.

The benefit of the chaos was that all of the Grimm were launching themselves every which way as they gorged on the bleeding city; not taking any notice of the small airship zipping through the buildings. Therefore it wasn't until we were almost to our destination that some of the Grimm began to take notice of us.

The first that we knew of it, a proximity alarm blared, and I went into a roll, nearly slamming into a large stone tower.

The Nevermore that had been diving towards us flew past, slamming its talons into a tall mansion below us, reducing it to rubble.

I didn't stop, continuing to fly through the buildings, but I saw out of the corner of my eye as it flapped its gigantic wings, rising into the air to give chase.

"Fifty meters take a left." Lusban said calmly.

I obeyed, bringing us to a long straight-ahead, and at the end was the CCT tower.

It was a massive structure, with a set of five spires that all stretched into the sky, each with a dish at the top that sent and received signals from across Remnant.

It was easy then to see what had caused the CCT tower to be disabled, as all five of those dishes were in various states of destruction, with one of them having an airship wing straight through its center. Still others looked like they had had a gigantic needle taken to them repeatedly and I cursed.

At a glance, it looked like some idiot had the bright idea to use the CCT towers spires as cover as they shot at Grimm. The debris of an airship that was scattered around attested to how that had gone for them.

The proximity alarm blared again, and I went into a small dive, and a Nevermore screeched as it flew past us, before it corrected its flight and began beating its wings after us.

"I think it likes you." Neo joked.

"I guess I'd better say hello then." I growled as the proximity alarm began blaring again.

This time as the Grimm dove from above, I hit the thrusters on the Bullhead and flipped them forward, sending us flying backward. The Nevermore let out a screech of rage as it flew through the empty space before righting itself and turning towards us. It's blood red-eyes fixated on us as its gigantic wings began beating once more.

I grinned savagely as I hit the release on the anti-air rockets, and as soon as the targeting computer had a lock I let four of them fly.

Brilliant streaks of Dust flew through the sky as the explosives launched forward, and one after the other, slammed into the Grimm, which let out a squawk of pain and despair as the fire Dust within the rockets set it alight.

Finally, the Grimm fell silent and its eyes went dull as it began to fall to the ground below; black motes of its flesh began disintegrating as it died.

I didn't stick around to watch; flipping the thrusters to drive us forward, I hit the throttle, sending us launching forward. Even above the roar of the engines, I heard squawks and screeches as more of the Grimm began to take notice of us.

"Sorry Lusban, you're gonna have a lot of friends." I told him as we approached the CCT tower.

"I'll manage Baron." He replied as he put up the scroll and walked up beside the pilot's chair.

I nodded, "See that you do, ready Neo?"

"Ready as I'll ever be." She answered as the massive tower filled our entire view.

"Now!" I shouted as I sent the Bullhead into a swerving turn, I felt the familiar feeling of displacement and the next thing I knew we were falling towards the tower. Below us, the Bullhead continued its wild swerve when suddenly it corrected itself and flew off, followed closely by a small posse of Gryphon that screeched as they pursued it out of sight.

I had no time to consider Lusban's situation however, as Neo whipped out her umbrella and opened it, slowing our fall as we drifted towards the tower.

"Where are we headed?" She asked.

"Around the middle of the structure will be the main reactors." I answered.

"Alright, I think I can get us right to it; just have to fall a little bit further-"

There was a gigantic roar and both of us looked up along the side of the building. Beating its chest with a pair of large, stout legs anchoring it to the wall, was a massive Beringel, its red eyes full of primal fury as it watched us get closer.

As though it had been some sort of rallying cry, what must have been hundreds more calls answered it, and soon the entire side of the tower was swarming with the Grimm.

"Uh… Neo." I looked nervously at several of the Grimm, who were beginning to coil up their legs and arms, their eyes fixed on our slowly drifting forms.

"I see them." She replied calmly as we continued to fall gracefully towards our target.

"They're about to jump…" I pressed as a particularly nasty looking Beringel's mouth fell open to reveal a set of slavering jaws.

"So are we." She responded calmly, "So let me-"

She was cut off as something jerked us upward, stopping us in our tracks. I looked up and my eyes widened as I saw what appeared to be a long white thread that had latched onto the umbrella, leaving us dangling in mid air.

As though that had been they had been waiting for, the Beringel let out a collective roar and the whole side of the building seemed to heave forward as they all leapt at us.

"Damn it, hold on!" Neo yelled.

"Like I have a-" But I was cut off as we disappeared, reappearing face to face with a Beringel, who let out a confused noise as I lowered Melodic Cudgel and blasted it out of our way.

We began plummeting downward, and I realized belatedly that Neo must have abandoned her umbrella, leaving us to free-fall our way down. I felt the pit of my stomach twist once more and the next thing I knew we were standing in the middle of what appeared to be a lobby.

The place had been ransacked with pieces of furniture and stone everywhere. I turned to Neo, who was breathing hard, "You alright?" I asked.

She nodded, "Just some… large jumps." She managed in between breaths, "I'll be fine in a minute."

There was a distant roar from deeper within the building and I readied Melodic Cudgel, "I don't think we have a minute." I pulled out my scroll and called up the blueprints. "C'mon, let's get moving.


	40. Chapter 40

**Thanks to TehGramarPolise for his help with this chapter.**

* * *

Neo and I left the ruined lobby, heading towards the interior of the structure through a pair of steel doors; that were hanging loosely on their hinges; their faces warped and bent to uselessness. We had just started down a long hallway when a Beringel rounded the corner, its red eyes flared and it let out a roar as it charged down the hall.

I lowered Melodic Cudgel and fired a round straight at its feet, the kinetic Dust round went off, launching the Grimm straight up. The creature's battle-cry cut off into an almost comically confused sound that was cut short as it slammed into the ceiling.

Before it had even hit the ground, Neo was there, holding her blade straight up, allowing the Grimm's own mass to do most of the work as she stabbed it in the neck.

The ground beneath our feet trembled as a cacophony of roars echoed around us as we ran, leaving the monster's body to disintegrate.

"So how far off did we end up?" Neo asked as we ran.

"We're five floors too high," I replied, "We're currently heading towards the maintenance scaffolding, that'll be way faster than trying to take the normal route."

There was another set of roars and screams, much closer this time and Neo grimaced, "I think given the circumstances I'm definitely okay with faster."

I grinned, "I'm glad you approve." I stopped at a spot along the wall with a small keypad beside it. "Stand back." I commanded her as I loaded an explosive round into Melodic Cudgel.

I fired, blasting a section of the wall out, revealing a set of metal scaffolding.

Along with something… else…

The entire scaffolding had been covered with what appeared to be gigantic strands of spider silk; webs criss-crossed the catwalks. The pieces of stone that had shot out from the explosion were stuck fast, hanging from strands of thread, attesting to their strength. I could faintly hear the sound of scuttling and hissing as _things_ moved in the darkness beyond; no doubt disturbed by my 'opening' of the maintenance hatch.

"Um…" Neo swallowed nervously, "You know, I said that I was okay with faster before… I'm not feeling it now."

I nodded tightly as I turned away from that death trap and began looking over the blueprints again.

"Okay then, we'll have to get to the central stairway." I shifted the schematics on the screen, "We'll have to get through a set of five blast doors to be able to access the main reactor."

"Any chance they're not closed?" Neo asked.

I shook my head, "Unlikely, they would have been closed as soon as the Grimm breached the walls."

"Couldn't I just jump past them?" She asked.

I grimaced, "One of the counter-measures they have in place in the areas between the blast doors is an experimental kind of Dust that creates an oxygen-less environment." I explained, "It's meant to prevent any fires from erupting inside. If we just jumped past, we'd start suffocating. If we blow down the doors, we can allow outside air inside. The problem is that if we went through the scaffolding we would've only had one set of doors to deal with. Now, we're moving up to five."

Neo big her lip, "Do you have enough explosive Dust for that?"

"Not even close," I answered, "We'll have to improvise." I quickly looked through the blueprints then zoomed in, "There, the central heating unit. That'll have the Dust components I'll need to create some explosives. It's just one floor below us."

"Alright then," Neo laid her umbrella on her shoulder, "Lead the way."

* * *

"This just isn't fair." I muttered quietly as Neo and I looked over the central heating unit.

"Since when have you cared about things being fair?" Neo asked in a whisper.

"Since it started being unfair to _me_." I replied.

The source of my consternation was a humongous snake Grimm that was wrapped around the core of the central heating unit. Not with its one body, not with its two bodies, five, six or even eight like an Orochi.

No, what we were looking at was a Hesperian; and this one looked like it had about thirty or so different bodies, all slithering up against each other as they absorbed the warmth. While the access to the central core itself was clear, as soon as I shut down the system and took out the Dust, the heat would be lessened, and it would be extremely... displeased.

Right so Hesparians, let me explain; there are King Taijitu, which are tough, but not unduly hard to kill, largely considered a lower threat Grimm. So of course, being Grimm, there has to be something else. That 'something' is a little skull-like tentacle Grimm that's sometimes referred to as a 'Weaver'; those little bastards can combine King Taijitu into having more and more heads, effectively increasing its strength, speed, and durability.

The most common form of this is an Orochi, or one with eight heads. It's unknown why exactly most Weavers stop at eight. If we knew that, we would probably know why it is that sometimes Weavers start combining with _each other_ to form Hesparians; which could have as few as sixteen heads, with the most recorded having one hundred and two.

Hesparians in general are rare, almost ridiculously so; so of course, one just had to be sitting right on top of where we needed to get to.

"Sooo… plan?" Neo asked.

I sighed as I considered our options. The good news about any King Taijitu combinations is that the Weaver becomes a weak point; hit that, and it severely damages the whole entity.

However, the issue with Hesparians is that the multiple Weavers still remain as somewhat independent entities, meaning that you have to hit all of them before the damn thing would die. As this thing would probably have at least four Weavers, it would not be easy to take down.

I pulled out my scroll and began examining the blueprints again, desperately searching for any other Dust source that I could scavenge from. No good, there was the central reactor and the heating unit, but all of the other systems were mostly conducting ones, they wouldn't hold the right kind of Dust I would need.

I put the scroll down and Neo sighed, "I know that look, we don't have a choice, do we?"

I shook my head.

Neo looked back over at the Grimm and let out a long, slow breath.

"Alright, you start doing whatever you need to do, as soon as it wakes up, I distract it long enough for you to finish, then we book it."

I nodded and slid down the ladder to the walkway.

Let me tell you, there have been some nerve-wracking moments in my life… rejecting the Baron Electorship at the Spring Mantle Ball, when I had walked into the Lasiren Aerial Manufactory board room that first time, a time when I had accidentally broken Keara's favorite vase.

Okay, that last one had been outright terror, but you get the picture; I've been put into uncomfortable situations before. Sneaking by a Hesparian to gain access to a central heating unit so that I could extract highly volatile Dust from its inner workings pretty much tops the list.

I mean, forget the gigantic Grimm currently coiled around me that was going to undoubtedly take exception to the tiny human who had taken away its comfy heater. If I messed anything up with the extraction itself I might never know it as I was vaporized in a blazing inferno.

The Grimm remained oblivious to my presence as I tip-toed along the catwalk, and quietly, ever so quietly opened the door to the central core.

The core itself was a small, cube-shaped room, with a series of controls on one side, and a hatch that granted access to the heating unit's reactor right next to it.

Still trying to be as quiet as possible, I snuck up to the controls and began accessing them.

Right when I hit the first button there was a loud, stupidly sci-fish _beep_ in response and I froze, my ears straining to hear any reaction from the Hesparian.

There was a slight increase in the rustling around me, but it eventually subsided as the creature got comfortable again.

I glared at the controls, really? Some idiot had taken the time and effort to install a _sound pack_ on a heating unit's reactor controls?

Carefully, ever so carefully, I accessed the user interface settings and with a final _beep_ muted them; I froze again, muscles tensed to move at the first sign of danger. I breathed a small sigh of relief as the Grimm continued to relax, content in the sweltering heat.

The control panel now blissfully silent, I began rapidly navigating the controls, overriding the safety protocols that prevented me from opening the hatch without shutting down the core.

I then quickly programmed in a timer to shut off the core, setting it for five minutes, then set it to begin silently ticking away

Beside the controls was a cabinet and I opened it to reveal a full body environmental hazard suit, I put it on with practiced hands, trying to keep myself calm and steady as the timer ticked down. When I had fully donned the suit, I took a deep breath, then opened the access hatch.

The visor instantly tinted slightly as the hatch slid aside to reveal a trio of large Dust canisters, each with a series of tubes that fed into one another in series, allowing the Dust to flow as the circular activating unit hummed. Even with the suit the heat was intense, and I could feel the sweat trickle down my face as the timer counted down to ten seconds.

The idea was simple in theory; open the hatch beforehand, so that as soon as the system shut down I could immediately set to work instead of waiting for the system to cool down. Because as soon as the system shut down, the heat would begin decreasing, and that would mean that the Hesparian would notice. That meant it would wake up and- I shoved that thought out of my mind as the timer fell to zero and the Dust activator went silent, the flow in the tubes crawling to a halt.

My hands instantly shot forward, working with meticulous care as I began unhooking the canisters. Strangely, it was my experience in the mines of my childhood that helped me more now than any training I had received later. Safety protocols were non-existent, and speed essential if you wished to avoid a cruel supervisor's attention . Therefore, I had performed thousands of dangerous tasks like these that would make a safety inspector's heart explode.

The trick was to move carefully, but decisively, if you hesitated, then you could cause a reaction as Dust mixed and sat with each other. Trust me when I say that when you're working with an exposed system like the one I was working with, you do _not_ want a reaction of any kind.

In the periphery of my mind, I noted that the rustling outside the room had increased and a series of hissing began that sounded like a series of steam pipes had burst.

"Hey, big and ugly!" I heard Neo yell outside.

The hissing erupted into a roar of sound and the slithering suddenly became a tidal wave as the Hesparian erupted into movement. I could hear the screeching of metal as the Grimm's massive body twisted and warped it, but the control room was heavily reinforced, and so I kept working.

At this point I had removed two of the three canisters; but the last one wasn't budging.

"C'mon you bastard." I muttered, I began tracing my hand along its intakes, and then cursed.

One of the pipes valves had been damaged; presumably when the Hesparian had moved, which meant that there was still a vacuum being generated, locking the canister in place.

I considered the two other canisters, then cursed; the third canister contained the earth Dust I would need to be able to give the charges I would be making their explosives force. If I was going to knock out those blast doors, I would need every bit of explosive power I could get.

I quickly considered my options, then shook my head, "This is stupid," I muttered, but I grabbed Melodic Cudgel anyway and began beating at the offending pipe.

One blow, two blows, finally, on the third blow, the pipe split, and there was a hiss as it pulled outside air into itself.

With feverish desperation, I grabbed at the canister and wrenched it free, hoisting the three canisters I ran out of the control room.

I had barely left the room when a scaly body lashed out across the catwalk, nearly slamming me off into the writhing mass below.

I regain my footing and looked up; the whole place was in chaos as the Hesparian thrashed and lashed out, trying desperately to catch a small figure that was darting and leaping away from its many jaws.

"Neo!" I yelled, trying to be heard over the hissing of the Grimm and the screeching of metal as its body reduced the place to wreckage.

I cursed as I realized trying to be yell over all of that was futile, and instead yanked out Melodic Cudgel and launched off a flashbang round, squeezing my eyes shut as it launched from the barrel.

There was a few hisses of outrage as several of the heads were blinded by the sudden light. I was suddenly very aware that I was a sitting duck out on the walkway. But before I could do anything about it, I felt something grab onto to me and I yelped.

"Oh you're never living that down." Neo jeered, "You got what you needed?"

I nodded, my face flushing red, "Then hold on!" Neo yelled and I felt my stomach churn.

When I opened my eyes we were up on top of the room right on the lip of an open vent.

"Neat right?" She asked, "King Taijitu use heat to detect prey, I can't imagine Hesparians are all that different; so with all this ambient heat, as long as we lay low for a bit, we should lose it. I know we can't really fit through the vent with those canisters and that suit, but if we wait for it to calm down or leave then we can make our get-away.

I swallowed nervously, "Uh, that's not a bad idea…"

Neo looked sharply at me, "I hear a 'but' coming…"

I grimaced, "I sort of broke one of the intake pipes to get the last canister out."

She frowned, "Okay, what does that mean in layman's terms?"

"It means that outside air is getting into the system," I said, "Which means that there's more oxygen for the fire Dust still left over in the system. Since I didn't let the system cool down fully in order to buy myself more time, there's still going to be some active…"

There was an ominous rumble and a strange sort of _pop_ as a section of the central heating unit suddenly bulged outward.

"...And I removed the earth Dust that the failsafe system would have used to damper the resulting reactions." I finished weakly.

"It's going to blow. Isn't it?" Neo asked.

"Jump the wall!" I shouted, "Jump now!"

There was a feeling of displacement as there was a larger rumble and suddenly the entire world erupted into flames.

* * *

When I woke I was propped upright with my back and arms against something hard and cool.

"Nice work Neo." I said, "Now we can-" I tried to lift my arms, but they were stuck fast

"Um.. Roman." Neo said, her voice high-pitched with fear, "I think the closest space beyond the wall was…

I felt the blood rush out of my face, "The maintenance scaffolding." I cursed and turned my head.

I was stuck on a large web that was stretched between the walls. Below me, Neo was cutting her sleeve from from a piece of the web with a knife.

"I'm sorry, I saw it just in time, so I managed to jump away, but you." She stopped and swallowed nervously, "Just hold on, I'll get you free, try to hold still."

I took a series of deep, calming breaths to slow my heart as it felt like it was going to burst out of my chest.

"Don't cut it." I commanded as Neo was about to touch her blade to the silk, "You'll have to saw it back and forth, that will alert whatever made these."

Neo stopped and then nodded, "So how do we do this then?"

I looked down and felt my heart lift into my throat as I saw the canisters had landed on the walkway, free of the webs.

"Look at the canisters." I told her, "There should be one that says 'primary Burn Mixture'."

She did so and selected one of the canisters, picking it up, "So what do I do with it?" She asked me.

"Very, very carefully unscrew the sealing cap," I told her.

She did so, and then she seemed to put two and two together, "You want me to use this on the web don't you?"

"You've got a better idea?" I asked her, "Look," I said, keeping my voice firm and calm, "I'm wearing an environment suit, so I'm not going to burn up immediately. Just use it to weaken the strands, then I can pull myself free and we can get out of here."

Neo hesitated for a moment, then nodded; she walked up to the web, and then very carefully dumped out a small amount onto it. Fortunately the Dust stuck fast, leaving a glistening, red sparkle. Neo resealed the canister, and then grabbed a small pebble of the catwalk, took a step back then threw it.

The pebble struck against the site and an inferno erupted around me. Despite the suit, I gasped in pain as the heat seared my skin. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, I felt my weight sag against the threads. As calmly as I could, I began testing the bonds, feeling them weaken beneath the fire and the constant strain. Soon, an arm came free, then a leg.

Within less than a minute, I stepped, gasping away from the burning threads. As soon as I had, I felt something wash over me and I looked up to see Neo using a water crystal to put out the remaining flames on me.

"Thanks." I said. I grabbed at the helmet of the suit and groaned with relief as I took it off and took a deep breath of fresh air.

"Hopefully that's the last time I have to set you on fire." Neo joked weakly as she helped me extricate an arm out of the suit.

I chuckled slightly and was about to reply, when I saw movement over Neo's shoulder, I began to shout a warning but then something slammed into us. I flew and landed solidly against a wall, and my vision blurred as I fell into darkness.


	41. Chapter 41

**Thanks to TehGramerPolise for helping with this chapter.**

* * *

I woke to find myself in darkness complete, surrounded by something wet and sticky that latched itself to me. It took every scrap of my will not to instantly begin lashing out and struggling. Instead, I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly to calm myself and start thinking, "Neo." I called.

No response.

"Neo." I called again, slightly louder.

"Ro-Ro-Rowan?"

My heart practically tore itself in two at the sheer amount of fear in Neo's voice. It was as bad as any time in the mines. She was maybe a few seconds from losing it.

"So I can't say that I like my accomodations too much." I called out, "Too little red."

Neo let out a feeble chuckle that turned into a choked sob.

Damn, she was falling apart, I wrenched my head slightly and a small glint of light shot through as the webs part just enough for me to see outside the cocoon.

From the little I could see we were in what must've once been the equipment room, a wide and cavernous space where I could see several other cocoons that had been ripped open; only one other was whole.

That cocoon was trembling and shifting as the occupant inside it moved around; my eyes darted up as I caught movement out of my peripheral vision and I gagged slightly.

There were four creatures there, were like no Grimm I had ever seen. While they possessed the usual red colored eyes; instead of purely black and white they possessed streaks of purple hairs that ran down the backs and sides of their bloated brown bodies. They possessed eight, spindly limbs that ended in razor sharp, jagged spines, and each had five eyes positioned seemingly at random above jaws that held sharp, spike-like teeth. Green and blue liquid dripped from their open maws as they all fixated on the struggling cocoon.

"Neo," I called urgently, "Neo!"

The struggling cocoon stilled slightly, "Ye...Yes?"

"Calm down, stop struggling."

"I ca-can't…" She replied, "I need to get out, _we_ need to get out." Her voice became more high-pitched with terror and soon she was babbling nonsensically as she continued to struggle.

The first of the spider-like Grimm took a step forward, its maw opening ever wider. I cursed and that's when out of the corner of my eye I saw something glistening in my cocoon. I turned my gaze to it to see a tiny needle there, a drop of a clear liquid glistening on its tip.

I cursed again, it wasn't like Neo to completely panic like this, not since she had begun training as a yojimbo. If I had to guess, these needles in the thread held a neurotoxin that caused their victim to go mad with terror. I looked up at one of the torn cocoons, and saw for the first time the traces of dried blood surrounding it; presumably once the victims were in a fear-crazed state, that's when these Grimm feasted.

So the question was, why wasn't I affected? How had the toxin not afflicted me like it had Neo? I shifted around and I looked down to see the environmental suit still clinging to most of my body. Of course, the suit's toughened exterior must have prevented most of the needles from penetrating, leaving me with far more mental capacity than their usual victims. Which meant I could come up with a plan to escape.

However… my gaze shot back to where the four Grimm were continuing their inexorable advance to Neo's cocoon; my first priority had to be keeping Neo alive until then.

"Neo!" I yelled, cutting through her panicked babbling, "I need you to trust me." I thought fast, "I need you to sing."

The strangeness of the request seemed to penetrate her drug-addled mind, "Wh-What?"

"I need you," I said firmly, "To sing… anything that comes to mind."

There was a pause and I could almost feel her slipping away again, "Doiteain Anam Mna!" I yelled desperately as the Grimm crawled yet ever closer, "Sing Doiteain Anam Mna!"

I could feel a drop of sweat run down my brow as I held my breath, and then there was soft sound;

"Yay, ye bird, ye Firebird," Neo began, "H-how high above you fly."

The Grimm paused for just a moment, but then continued to get closer.

"C'mon Neo, what did Keara use to say?" I demanded, "'People don't want to hear a mouse squeak, they want to hear a woman roar!'"

"On wings of fire, you set my heart aflame." Neo sang, her voice getting progressively stronger, "Firebird, shine in the sky and set it all afire!"

As Neo's voice continued to grow in strength and confidence, the spider Grimm stopped their advance and slowly began backing off, the hunger in their red eyes dimming. I let out a small sigh of relief, that had bought at least some time while I tried to get us out of this mess.

Thankfully, the environmental suit had not only protected me from most of those damn needles. Because the web was stuck to it rather than me, I actually had quite of freedom for moving my arms.

I searched for the canisters with my small window of sight outside of my cocoon, but couldn't see them anywhere. I cursed slightly, maybe they were interwoven in my cocoon? I began searching carefully around me, using the suit as much as possible to prevent from being trapped. I had a brief flare of hope as my right hand felt something hard and metallic, but soon realized that it was just Melodic Cudgel…

Wait, just Melodic Cudgel….

My mind began racing rapidly as I began feeling at my weapon and felt a surge of excitement as I was able to grab the handle. I tried pulling, but it was stuck fast; however, I could feel the trigger under the webbing. If I squeezed hard, then I could pull it.

The good news: if I remembered correctly which Dust cartridge was currently in the weapon's chamber, the it would blow out the bottom half of the cocoon, setting me free. The bad news, if I remembered correctly this was going to hurt a _lot_. The worst news I could get would be that I hadn't remembered correctly and my hopes were about to be dashed; maybe if I could snake my arm around the suit I could…

My thoughts came to a screeching halt as I realized that Neo's singing had gone silent. I looked up to see that her cocoon had fallen still and the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as I saw that the spider Grimm were already on her web.

"Neo… Neo!" I yelled, no response. One of the Grimm's mandibles parted revealing a long, narrow proboscis that it was lining up on the web.

"Oh hell no." I muttered, squeezed my eyes shut, and pulled the trigger.

* * *

The next thing I knew I was opening my eyes and my ears were ringing, I was lying on the ground next to the wall. Judging from how every inch of my body felt like it had been hit with a baseball bat, I presumed that I had flown and smacked into it.

I got to my hands and knees, my whole world spinning… there had been something I had been doing, something urgent… was I late for a meeting? No… it had been something with Neo… it wasn't her birthday was it? I had Melodic Cudgel clutch tightly through an environmental suit that was tattered and ripped, why was that?

I blinked owlishly as I surveyed my surroundings, where the hell was I? Why were there webs every-

My situation came back to me in a rush and I cursed as I shot to my feet, nearly blacking out from the resulting vertigo. Fighting back to awareness through sheer will, I lifted Melodic Cudgel just as one of the Spider Grimm leapt at me, its red eyes full of rage as it chittered at me.

I pulled the trigger and the explosive Dust round slammed into the creature, blowing it away, but the resulting backblast knocked me back flat on my ass. I growled and angrily shook my head as the world around me seemed to spin lazily on its axis.

My own cocoon had been blow to pieces, the explosive Dust must have been contained by the web, causing the explosion to become larger as the forces sought to escape their confinement.

"Rowan!" Neo screamed from inside her cocoon, "Rowan what happened? Where are you?"

"Just hold on!" I yelled back as I loaded another explosive Dust round into Melodic Cudgel. The other two spider Grimm had vanished, leaving me to scour the shadows as I moved towards a set of lockers that were against the far wall.

If I was correct and this was an equipment storage room, then hopefully there was something for getting Neo out of her cocoon. I was reluctant both in terms of ammunition and in terms of keeping Neo safe to just start blasting away.

I opened the first locker, damn… just some protective equipment and safety harnesses. I opened up the second locker and a smile came over my face, "Bingo." I murmured. Inside was a welding kit and a large, portable circular saw, necessary items for maintaining the scaffolding. I grabbed the saw first and pushed down on the safety lever and the activation switch, letting out a grunt of satisfaction as the blade _whirred_ powerfully.

Strapping Melodic Cudgel to my side, I picked up the heavy tool in both hands and turned around.

One of the Spider Grimm was scuttling along the ground towards me, its jaws open wide as it charged forward. I hesitated for a moment, and then sighed, "Ah to hell with it." I muttered and activated the blade before charging forward.

For a wild moment I could have sworn the Grimm seemed to attempt to stop and backpedal away as the man with a giant circular saw bore down upon it. It never got the opportunity however as I slammed the saw blade into the top of the creature's head. I gripped the tool tight as it bucked and kicked as it sliced through the Grimm's flesh.

The Grimm kicked and struggled, and then went still, I pulled the saw out, letting it wind down, and kicked the still squirming body away so that it could disintegrate.

I took a deep breath to still my rapidly beating heart, "Okay." I finally let out before walking forward towards Neo's cocoon.

"Rowan? Rowan?" Neo's voice called as the occupant of the cocoon writhed and twisted.

"Neo, it's me, I'm okay."

"Oh thank goodness." She sobbed, "Why is it so dark?"

"We're still in the CCT Tower," I replied calmly, "The Grimm caught us, but I'm getting us out of here; you just need to stay still alright, can you do that… for me?"

Neo took a deep, choking breath, "I- I'll try…"

I lined up the saw to the web well to the side of the figure trapped inside and then turned on the tool. The saw churned and spat, but began slicing through the strands slowly but surely.

I had just begun cutting when the third Grimm made its move.

I should have known better, should have paid more attention, but I had been distracted by Neo's plight and her fear. One moment I was slicing away the web, the next I was tackled to the floor the saw flying from my hands to fall to the side, shutting off automatically as the safety was released.

The spider Grimm scuttled on top of my stomach, its proboscis already emerging as it made a lunge towards my exposed face.

Two shots rang out, the first bullet slammed into the Grimm's head, sending its spiked appendage off target, flying past my head to imbed itself into the floor. The second shot hit the creature straight in its underbelly. The Grimm gave a screech and flailed around; I stared at it as it died, struggling around its trapped proboscis. Only after it had faded away did I turn my head.

Standing there, pistol in hand, was Bayard. His eyes roved around the room before nodding once, "Clear!" He called behind him.

"Excellent shooting Bayard." A deep voice echoed, "And Rowan, how fortuitous we should find you here." Cola Malaika stepped forward, giant cane in one hand and a pistol in the other. He tapped the cane lightly on the ground as he leaned forward, "So just what are you doing here?"


	42. Chapter 42

**Thanks to TehGramerPolise for helping with this chapter.**

* * *

I sat frozen in disbelief for a moment, wondering if the Grimm had stuck another toxin in me that was making me hallucinate.

"Cola?" I asked weakly.

"That would be me," He confirmed, a handful of men and women in full body armor carrying assault rifles fanned out, keeping their eyes on any nook or cranny that another spider Grimm could emerge from. There were a pair of heavy, metallic footsteps and two short, cowled figures emerged into view.

They were heavily armored, with sheets of metal slapped seemingly haphazardly together in loose vests that they wore underneath a large piece of fabric that were draped over their heads and shoulders. Both held a flamethrower like apparatus, with large tanks strapped to their backs attached with a tube to a large nozzle that had solid-looking bayonet blades attached underneath.

One of the two individuals was obviously a Faunus due to the large mouse ears that made their hood lift up like a tent. After examining the other figure more closely, I could make out the outline of a long rat's tail that had been bound up along their back underneath the fabric, and something about the large contraptions they wore looked oddly familiar.

"Cleaners." I whispered.

"Yes indeed." Cola answered, "As it turns out, they are most proficient at fighting Grimm. That, and they felt they owed me a favor after ending Serroi, considering his forces fired on them."

I snapped back to the present as the cocoon to my side shifted a little, I twisted around and snatched the circular saw off the ground and approached the cocoon.

I lined up the saw and began cutting at the cocoon once more.

"Neo?" Cola asked as he stepped up behind me.

I nodded grimly as I focussed on my task. Strands of the web parted as the blade whirred; after a while, I took a step back to examine the progress of my work.

I had sliced completely around Neo's form, but the inner was still left, and I was going to have to cut rather close to free her. I would have to work carefully.

Cola seemed to come to the same conclusion, "Make an incision at the top." He growled as he set his cane to the side, holstered his pistol and put on a pair of leather gloves.

I obeyed and carefully made a cut right at the top until I could just see a pink strand of hair; then I turned off the tool and took a step back.

Cola cracked his knuckles, and placed his hands on either side of the incision, gripping the web tightly, he took a deep breath, then two, and then let out a grunt as his muscles went taut.

At first, nothing happened, but then there was the distinct sound of tearing as the strands below the cut began to snap. Soon, the cut was widening, revealing a small, shivering Neo.

I darted forward, saw in hand as I cut away the last of the strands sticking to her, then I threw the tool to the side, grabbed her by her waist and pulled.

There was a moment of resistance, but then Neo came free, and as I held her tight in my arms, relief washed through me. Her eyes were wide open, but her eyes were glazed over with terror, focussed on nothing. Her breathing was quick and fast, coming in panicked gasps.

I carefully selected a space on the floor that was free of the damned webbing and laid her down on her back.

"Neo, it's okay you're safe now." I whispered; she seemed not to even notice my presence as she simply continued to stare up at the ceiling.

By my side, Cola frowned in irritation at the web stuck to his gloves, he ripped them off and threw them away. "How is she?"

"Completely out of it." I answered.

"Sivimi!" Cola barked. The mouse-eared Faunus stepped forward, and he gestured to Neo. "You said you carried an antidote to this damn neurotoxin?"

The Faunus nodded and pulled a syringe out from a pouch at her side, "Have but three more after this, tip-toe, we must be… yes, yes?"

"Understood." Cola replied, "Rowan, if you would please step back?"

I obeyed, but eyed the Faunus warily as she knelt down, and despite myself, experienced an overwhelming desire to leap forward to wrench her away as she stuck the syringe straight into Neo's neck and pushed down on the plunger.

Neo's eyes abruptly cleared as she let out a gasp that turned into a rasping cough. Sivim stepped back and I instantly went to Neo's side.

"Oh thank the Maidens," She rasped as she saw me, "You're okay."

I let out a chuckle, "Yeah, I'm fine. How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been hit by a train." She groaned as she sat up, she blinked slowly as she saw all of the people around us.

"Damn, I guess the cavalry arrived then?" She asked, "Good to see you Cola, Bayard."

Bayard gave her a quick smile, "How's your Aura?"

Neo clenched one hand in a fist, "Not great, but I can still fight."

"Good, we'll need everyone we can get." Cola replied.

I turned to him, "So why exactly are you here?" I asked him.

"At the current rate, Mantle will be completely overrun." Cola answered, "I have my own troops, as well as some from our allies, but they can't land while the Grimm rule the skies. I have come here in order to overload this tower and zap them out of the air."

I lifted an eyebrow, "Huh, great minds think alike then."

Cola chuckled, "To be fair, you gave me a hint." He reached into his coat and pulled out Neo's umbrella, which he offered to her. She took it eagerly, and quickly examined its condition,

"Thanks, I was feeling a little naked with just a knife."

Cola inclined his head with a small smile, and then turned to me, "So I presume you intended to use the tower in a similar fashion?"

I nodded, "I have some air forces enroute, but they'll be insufficient to defeat the amount of airborne Grimm."

Cola nodded, "Excellent thinking. How did you come to be in the predicament we found you in?"

My face flushed slightly, "We were retrieving some Dust canisters from the central heating unit in order to blow past the blast doors in the main hall, things got… hectic."

Cola nodded, "Ah, I see, that would explain the rampaging Hesparian that forced us along this route."

I grimaced, "Damn, that thing's still alive?"

"Horrifically wounded, maybe even fatally" Cola explained, "However, even in its death throes, it would be a horrifically dangerous foe that would take an abundance of ammunition and time to put down for good. Unfortunately, we do not possess such an abundance of either of those items."

I nodded, "So the plan is to go along the rest of the maintenance shaft and blast down the door, and then overload the reactor?"

Cola tapped his cane on the ground, "Somewhat, the good news is that the blast door from the maintenance shaft has already been taken care of. The bad news is that it was a highly formidable Grimm that did so, and is what is responsible for all of… this." He gestured at the webs surrounding us.

"Ah… pleasant. How did you come by this information?" I asked.

Cola jerked his head to indicate someone behind him, "Two Rashin who were conducting an inspection at the time of the attack and were able to escape. I believe that you know them."

Right on cue, two familiar faces stepped forward.

"Greetings, Baron Laisren." Menek Rashin greeted.

"It has been some time." Jocasta Rashin observed.

"It has indeed," I agreed, "I have to admit, you two did not strike me as the heroic type."

Something ugly flashed in Menek's eyes, "Indeed, we are not. However, Mr. Malaika expressed to us that it was in our best interest to assist his endeavour… lest we find ourselves without protection in the middle of a Grimm infested city."

I glanced at Cola, whose face remained neutral.

"I see…" I said slowly, "Regardless, your assistance will be noted and appreciated."

"How very kind of you." Jocasta replied smoothly.

I examined the two for a moment; both were obviously infuriated that they had been conscripted in such a manner. However, while Menek was openly resentful, Jocasta seemed far more composed. Hopefully she would be able to prevent her brother from doing anything reckless.

I nodded to the two of them once more, before returning my attention to Cola, who was discussing something in hushed tones with Sivimi.

"Are we ready to proceed?" I asked Cola.

He turned to me and nodded, "Indeed. I was just discussing with Sivimi here on the nature of the Grimm that we will probably be encountering."

"A foul, foul crawler." Sivimi added, "Skitter with many children, to suck the Mother's Gift, yes, yes. An Arachne it likely is."

"The children… you mean the smaller spider Grimm?" I asked.

The Faunus woman nodded, "Yes, yes… children of the web, children of the Arachne, they of many mouths. Send them out for sustenance she does, but the Gift, it is the Gift that sates her hunger the most."

"The Mother's Gift is the term that they use for Dust." Cola explained.

I blinked as I processed what she was saying, "Wait… she's saying that this… Arachne _eats_ Dust?"

"Apparently." Cola answered.

"Oh that's fantastic." I muttered, "So shooting it won't be very effective."

"Dust charged rounds will certainly be out of the question." Cola agreed, "Normal rounds however, should still work just fine. That or melee weapons, so long as the blade isn't Dust infused."

"Any other handicaps?"

Cola shook his head, "No, that's about it."

"What about weaknesses? Have you heard of any being killed before?" I asked, directing my attention to the Sivimi.

She shook her head, "No Arachne have been death-felled." She replied, "Strong-fast they are, have lots of shell-armor. When they weave-web and scavenge-feast… Grimm-darkness is certain."

"Well then, I do like to be the first to accomplish something," I said nonchalantly as I loaded a cartridge into Melodic Cudgel, "Let's go kill it."

* * *

Our little party moved along the maintenance shaft two by two. In all, we had six mercenaries in addition to the two Cleaners, with Bayard, Cola, the Rashin twins, and Neo and myself bringing our total number up to fourteen.

As the webs seemed to get thicker and larger as we progressed towards the reactor, the Cleaners led the way, shooting their Semblance-created acid out of their weapons to melt away the strands, clearing a path.

As they did so, they revealed more and more of the ripped open cocoons that I had seen before, and I did my best to ignore the dried blood that stained the ground at each one. I could easily picture the scene; workers desperately scrambling into the maintenance shaft, using it to avoid the Grimm overrunning the building, only to find skittering horrors in the darkness.

This had been one of the most heavily guarded buildings in Mantle; it once again hammered home just how desperate the situation in the capital truly was... and how little might be left if it were to even survive.

Neo nudged my side, "Soo… any plans on how to kill this Arachne thing yet?"

I grinned slightly, "Just one or two." I replied.

"Damn, do you actually have to see it or something? You must be slipping, I expect more from you." She said drily, then she leaned in next to me, "There's lots of movement." She whispered, jerking her head to indicate the webbing.

I looked around, she was right, things flitted past my vision, using the remaining web to mask their movement. The rest of our group seemed aware of the development, the mercenaries gripped their rifles tightly, keeping them at the ready.

"We're getting close." Jocasta Rashin murmured, her eyes scanning our surroundings.

"And I don't think that the Grimm are going to simply let us reach the reactor." Cola noted as yet more of the web gave a telltale rustle. "Sivimi, Smeda… on my signal, redirect your streams to take out all of the webbing around us. Alpha team, form a circle and shoot anything that gets through; keep track of your ammo and coordinate reloads before you run out. Bayard and Neopolitan will take care of the close range threats."

"Yes sir." One of the mercenaries replied, and the two Faunus gave small nods of acknowledgment, keeping at their task of clearing the path ahead.

In the distance, I could see a bright light, the exit from the maintenance shaft, and in my bones I could feel a deep _thrum_ as we approached the reactor.

The skittering of the Grimm surrounding us had risen to a fever pitch, and the threads seemed to move like grass in a breeze as they prepared to strike.

"Twenty seconds." Bayard muttered.

Cola nodded, "Get ready." He growled.

I took a deep breath as I readied Melodic Cudgel, and beside me Neo did the same with her umbrella.

"Jocasta and Menek," Cola called, "I believe our chances of survival would be greatly heightened if you two were to use your Semblance to help intercept the first wave."

The twins didn't speak, but the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as electricity began to crackle and pop softly behind us.

"Eight seconds." Bayard said calmly.

7… 6, I counted off in my head, 5...4...3...2-

"Now!" Cola commanded.

The two Cleaners whirled around, each facing to the left and right, spraying their acid out into the webbing beside us.

There was the screeching of Grimm as a clump of the creatures died horribly to the acid; but the sound was drowned out by the clicking and chattering of a swarm as the web around us sprang to life.

The web itself was almost completely obscured as the Grimm emerged in the hundreds, maybe even the thousands. All of them swarmed towards us in a living wave, only to be met with death as the Rashin twins struck.

Lighting crackled and the air smelled sharply of ozone and charred bodies as nets of electricity flashed into existence, frying the Grimm that leapt towards us in midair.

Despite the impressive display of destruction, still yet more Grimm made it past to skitter along the ground, their mandibles dripping with their neurotoxin.

Around us, the mercenaries began opening fire with their rifles in disciplined and controlled bursts, smashing the Grimm into pieces as they got close, before methodically moving on to the next target. Cola leveled his handgun along with Bayard, adding their own contributions. Bayard's twin guns barked as he worked down the line; while Cola's own handgun boomed, taking out entire groups of the Grimm as the massive bullets tore through multiple bodies.

For my part, I carefully selected a target, a handful of Grimm that had managed to somehow slip through a gap in the electrical barrier that surrounded us, and pulled the trigger.

A globe of yellow and green launched from Melodic Cudgel, landing directly in front of them before exploding, sending shards of shrapnel slashing through them. Pieces of the spider Grimm flew as we continued our deadly fullisade.

However, despite the sheer amount of death and destruction we were dealing out, the main body of the Grimm horde got closer and closer, pressing in on the Rashin twins' electrical defense.

Soon, Neo was doing her part, lashing out with her umbrella in one hand and blade in the other, killing the Grimm as they got within reach.

One of the mercenaries let out a scream as one of the Grimm landed on the neck of his armor and drove its proboscis into the gap, skewering his neck. More of the Grimm landed on him as his arm spasmed, sending his shots wide, bringing him down to the ground. The man beside him, his side now no longer protected, let out a curse as one of the Grimm slipped through and landed on his arm, attempting to pierce the armor.

Cola let out a growl of rage and moved in, reaching out to simply crush the offending Grimm with a single, massive hand. He then quickly eyed the fallen mercenary, and must have decided that he was already gone, because he reached down on the man's belt, pulled the pins out of the grenades there and then kicked the body into the bulk of the swarm.

A second later, there was a large explosion, and an entire section of the Grimm simply disappeared as the explosives went off. Inwardly I felt sick at the sheer callousness of the action, but spared no time dwelling on it as I continued to fire, reload, and fire again.

Then, as though someone had shut off a faucet, the attack just halted. One moment we were fighting for our lives. The next, I stood there, panting as I swept Melodic Cudgel around, looking for a target.

Slowly, it dawned on me that I was still standing, and I looked around numbly. The ground was pockmarked with craters, both large and small. Everything was scorched and smoking, whether from acid, fire, or electricity.

Beside me, Neo let out a long, slow sigh of relief.

"Sivimi, Smeda, clear the rest of the path." Cola barked, "Everyone else, keep your eyes open."

I could feel Cola's Semblance behind those words, waking me from my numbed stupor and back to full alertness. My eyes watching every nook and cranny for signs of movement.

However, whether it was because we had killed them all, or the ones that were left didn't feel like pressing the issue, the rest of our way through the maintenance shaft concluded without any more attacks. I sagged slightly with relief as I backed up out of the maintenance tunnel and into the hallway beyond, mercifully clear of those damned webs.

"Excellent work everyone." Cola said as he reloaded his gun, "Inventory check, I want to know just what kind of munitions we have to work with. The hard part of this mission is still ahead of us." He nodded down the hallway.

I turned my gaze in that direction and my jaw nearly dropped.

The blast doors used in the CCT tower were state of the art. An alloy of steel, titanium, and fire-resistant ceramic plating that were Dust reinforced and hardened. When they were sealed, Dust crystals within were activated to seal not only the gap between the two doors, but to pierce through the surrounding walls, anchoring it in. When such doors were removed, they were basically dug out in giant cubes; meaning that the whole doorway and a bit of the hall needed to be replaced. They were meant to stop any Grimm, and to be highly resistant to any explosion.

And yet there, at the end of the hall, they were torn asunder, looking like someone had grabbed them and then simply bent them, twisting them aside like pieces of taffy. Apparently the 'strong' part of 'strong-fast' for Cleaners was no joke.

Neo looked at me, and then the blast door, "So I'm guessing that's even _more_ impressive than it looks?"

"Something like that." I answered weakly.

She gave a frustrated huff, "You know, one of these times, I want to ask that and you go, 'oh no that's really easy, nothing to worry about'. Even if just to make me feel better."

I winced, "Me too." I replied, feeling slightly queasy, "Me too."


	43. Chapter 43

**Thanks to TehGramerPolise for helping with this chapter.**

* * *

The humming of the reactor grew louder as our band proceeded down the hall, but now that I was no longer fighting for my life I noticed that there was something… off, about the sound.

Anyone who works with machinery can assure you that sound can be just as vital, perhaps even more so, than sight when trying to diagnose a problem. A healthy engine has a certain wholesome sound to it that will inform even the uneducated that it is working properly.

However, despite my experience, this sound was a new one, a kind of high-pitched whine that would fade, almost like it was being sucked down a drain before it returned to a completely normal hum.

"It feeds." Sivimi hissed, "Sneak-shock will be on our side; sneak-stab, yes, yes."

"Hold up here." Cola rumbled; the group stopped and he beckoned to Smeda, "If you would please unpack our 'special' armament?"

The Faunus nodded and reached to a duffel bag on his back and laid it on the ground. He opened it, revealing a tube and five foot-ball sized metallic contraptions.

"These are 'Punchers'," Cola explained as he held one of them up, "They're designed to take down large Grimm by injecting explosives directly into their flesh."

I lifted an eyebrow, "You said 'into their flesh'?"

Cola nodded, "Once primed, the Punchers will activated upon impact, causing a series of barbed hooks to erupt towards point of impact, helping it imbed into the skin. Once that's accomplished, the explosive itself is injected via a large thrusting needle that punches deeper into the tissue. The needle then withdraws, using a sealant to pack the explosive in. A few seconds later it explodes, the sealant making the force flow towards the path of least resistance…"

"Which is the Grimm's insides," Neo nodded appreciatively, "Brutal."

"Bayard will be the first to wield the launcher." Cola said as he grabbed the tube and handed it over to his yojimbo, "His Semblance makes him uniquely suited to the task." He looked around at the group, "Should he fall, anyone who can recover the weapon should do so and use it if they are able. Is that understood?"

I nodded along with Neo and the Faunus, while the mercenaries gave a sharp salute. Bayard for his part, examined the weapon before shouldering it and the duffel bag.

Cola examined all of us for a moment, "This will not be easy," He growled, "We have already had casualties, and no doubt will suffer more." He directed this at the mercenaries, before turning his attention to the rest of us. "However, it will not be in vain… _cannot_ be in vain… around us, Mantle is falling. I will be damned before the Grimm destroy the capital of Solitas. We are better than these _beasts_ , and we shall prove that today."

I felt my heart swell in my chest, realizing that he must be using his Semblance to make the words have far more impact then they normally would. Even the Rashin twins were drawn in, growling deep in their throats, electricity crackling slightly.

Cola grinned savagely, "We are not what one might think of when it comes to heroes; they would be right. However, on this day, my only regret comes from the fact that I left my cape at home."

I grinned at that, and a slight chuckle went around the room; Cola then turned and tapped his cane on the ground with one hand, his massive handcannon in the other. "So come: let's go save a city."

We moved down the hall with a purpose, still mindful of the need for stealth. However, I could feel every muscle in my body tense, not with dread, but excitement. Finally, we entered the reactor room.

At first all I saw was a large, white solid mass that was stuck to the reactor tower, causing me to mistake it at first for a piece of stone. Then it expanded like a filling balloon, causing the peculiar whine to fill the room. The noise stopped, and the mass slowly reduced in size. As it did so, I was finally able to make out the details of the creature.

It was completely armored in the strange, bone-like substance of the Grimm. When I say 'completely armored'; I mean that not a single piece of flesh was showing. Even where its face should have been was simply a mask etched with whirling red designs and a large proboscis that was inserted into the reactor. Motes of electricity flowed over its armor as it absorbed the energy from the Dust inside the core.

"Oh… shit." Neo breathed.

"The barbs on the Punchers won't be able to pierce that." Bayard noted.

"Indeed," Cola turned to the Cleaners, "I was under the impression that an Arachne was simply a larger version of the Grimm we encountered in the maintenance tunnel."

Sivimi swallowed nervously, "Yes, yes… but this…"

"The White Queen," Smeda whimpered, his entire body shaking, "The Despoiler of Taz-Murok, The Witch's Weaver… doom-certain, death is all that awaits…"

Cola turned to the Cleaner, "Calm yourself, you'll give us away." He growled, his voice heavy with his Semblance. The Cleaner took a few deep breaths and his shaking slowed, but his eyes were still fixed on the Grimm; which still either hadn't noticed us, or wasn't particularly bothered by our presence.

"Sivimi, explain." He commanded.

Sivimi nodded, "The White Queen is a terror-legend of the Under-Dwellers." She explained, "All-armored, great-destroyer."

"So in other words, this just got a lot harder?" I asked.

"Archne have been driven-ran," Sivimi responded, "The White Queen never."

"Awesome." I breathed, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

Cola tapped his cane on the ground and sighed, "This changes little of what we must do." He finally said, "Our first priority is to crack that damn shell. When I give the word, everyone throw everything you've got. Bayard, you watch for an opening."

The mercenaries all reached for the grenades at their belts and primed them all, I pulled out Melodic Cudgel and selected an explosive round, taking aim at the creature.

The Cleaners both stepped forward resolutely, their acid-throwers at the ready, while the Rashin twins both readied a pair of wicked blades.

"Ready..." Cola leveled his own gun, "Aim…"

One of the mercenaries swallowed nervously and I forced my aim to remain steady, my mouth dry.

"Let loose!" Cola commanded.

The mercenaries grunted as they flung their grenades, I pulled the trigger on Melodic Cudgel, the two Cleaners let loose with gouts of acid while Cola's massive gun boomed.

The sound of the destruction was deafening, and I felt the floor rock slightly beneath my feet as we dealt out a blow that would have slain fifty of any lesser Grimm.

Before the monstrosity before us it was… wholly unimpressive.

The smoke cleared to reveal the Grimm had withdrawn its proboscis from the reactor, its masked face gazing intently on us. It crawled off of the reactor tower and onto the ground, its spiked legs driving divots into the stone floor. It shook, and the plates on its bodies rattled and clanked, causing the hairs on the back of my neck to stand on end.

In response, Cola ran forward, his cane whipping around in an arc that slammed into the creature's front leg; driving all of his impressive strength in a crushing blow, there was a loud _snap_ …

And the end of Cola's cane flew off, the creature rattled once more, driving one its legs downward in a vicious stab that Cola rolled out of the way.

The mercenaries shouldered their rifles and opened fire, sending rounds into the creature as they began to circle around the Grimm. The Cleaners both stolidly advanced, concentrating their acid onto the creature's mask.

For my part, I moved off to the side, loading another cartridge into Melodic Cudgel; Neo and Bayard dashed forward, Bayard having pulled out his twin guns that barked and chattered while Neo slashed at the creature with her blade.

The creature rattled once more, and then charged forward, falling upon the two Cleaners faster than I could blink; its legs flashed once, twice, and blood sprayed as it impaled the two Faunus.

It then lashed out with another one of its legs, catching a mercenary that hadn't stood far away enough. The man let out a scream that ended in a gurgle as the spiked end lashed across his chest and through his throat.

I let out a curse and fired at the Grimm, the explosive slammed into the creature's back, and caused it to lurch forward, but did little damage as it spun around, its proboscis flashing in and out as it focussed its attention on me.

My heart felt like it was pounding its way out of my chest, but I managed to force my hands to remain steady as I loaded another round into Melodic Cudgel. I barely got the weapon into position before the Grimm had already scuttled its way on top of me.

The round slammed into the Grimm's face hitting the only weakness that I could conceive. Its plates rattled as it stopped in its tracks, its legs irritably scrabbling at the solidifying mass of earth that was clogging the hole in which its proboscis was sheathed.

I backpedaled, my hands scrabbling for another round, which I loaded in, aimed, then fired.

The flashbang round slammed into the earthen mass, shoving it inside before going off right in the creature's proboscis hole (Seriously, do you call that a mouth? A "maw"? "Maw", we're going with "maw").

It reared back, plates rattling in fury before it focussed squarely back on me; its front legs flashed out, coming at me with impossible speed. There was no way I was going to be able to dodge in time…

Fortunately I didn't have to, as someone grabbed my shoulder and the familiar feeling of displacement washed over me. When it faded, I was standing back in the hallway, Neo breathing hard beside me.

"Good job, you're the first person to piss it off." She congratulated me.

"Good to know." I answered, still slightly shaken from the close call

She looked over the creature as it whirled around, still looking for where I had disappeared to.

"So uh… about those plans you had."

I winced, "None of them involved the thing being more armored than five tanks."

"Figured as much."

We watched as the Arachne finally seemed to give up on finding me, turning its attention once more back to the mercenaries, who were firing clip after clip into the Grimm.

"So how the hell do we kill it?" She asked.

"We can't." Cola said simply as he knelt down and laid down Sivimi on the ground. The Faunus woman let out a groan, her hand clutched at the bloody hole in her shoulder. "We don't have nearly enough ordinance to kill this damn thing; at this rate, I'm thinking that a small collection of rocket launchers might be insufficient."

His face tightened as another mercenary's scream was cut brutally short. "We have to retreat, regroup, and come back with more firepower." He concluded as he stood up, "You two grab Sivimi and make your way back to the maintenance shaft, I'll gather everyone else and-"

"We can't do that." I said simply.

Cola stopped mid-sentence, his cold-blue eyes fixing onto me, "What was that?"

"We can't retreat." I told him, "Mantle is falling around us, even if we got out and got more weapons; there's no guarantee that we wouldn't have to use them just to get back here. Even if we got here with no problems; every second we're delayed is another second that the Grimm are running rampant. There might not even be a Mantle left to save."

Cola was silent for a moment that seemed to stretch into an eternity, "You are not incorrect." He admitted, "However, there is the slight problem that our only alternative is to die here."

"What if there was another option?" I asked him.

He lifted an eyebrow, "Oh?"

"I still have the explosives I was going to use to get past the blast door." I explained.

Cola frowned, "But those would be solely Dust charged explosives, so their effectiveness would be woefully reduced; not only that, but those kind of charges take a long time to set up. There is no way you would be able to plant them on that thing."

I grinned, "I wasn't planning on using it on the Arachne."

I quickly explained my plan to the two of them; at the end of it, Cola stared at me for a good while, then he turned to Neo, "How in the world do you still let him make plans for you two?"

She shook her head, grinning slightly, "Remind me to tell you how exactly sabotaging the anti-airship guns at Serroi's fortress went. This is nothing compared to that plan."

Cola chuckled and then turned to me with a strange look in his eyes, "Very well." He cracked his knuckles, "Let's do it."

* * *

When Cola and I rejoined the battle, it was to see that all but two of the mercenaries were dead, the Rashin twins were missing, and Bayard was dancing nimbly around the creature's legs, desperately trying to keep the Grimm's attention.

Cola ran up behind the Grimm and let out a battle cry as he slammed his fists one after the other into one of the creature's legs. While the punches did little actual damage, it caused the Grimm to stagger, allowing Bayard to back off, his pistols firing away as he did so.

"And you complain… that I'm… always late." He wheezed at Cola.

"Just because we happen to share faults doesn't excuse it." Cola answered back.

The creature rattled again and charged forward, and I lowered Melodic Cudgel, firing once more at its face.

This time the creature was slightly more canny, bringing up a leg to intercept the blow… which is what I had been counting on. The webbing that Cola had helped me gather up inside the tunnel exploded over the creature's limb causing it to become stuck to its face.

The Grimm wobbled and pitched forward, collapsing to the ground, "Bayard, Puncher!" Cola commanded.

The yojimbo tossed one of the devices into the air, which Cola caught deftly and then charged forward; holding it in one hand.

The Arachne finally ripped its leg away from its face and its proboscis flashed in and out in agitation as it regained its footing. Its head cocked slightly to the side as it considered the giant man charging it, and I could see its shoulders begin bunching up as it prepared to cut Cola to pieces.

"Oh no you don't." I muttered, I aimed with Melodic Cudgel and fired once, twice; both rounds slammed into its two front legs, causing more of the webbing to cover them, causing them to be stuck fast to the ground. My hand darted to my Dust pouch, fishing out an earth round which I loaded into the chamber.

The creature rattled furiously and ripped one leg free, then the other, and then Cola was on it.

With a roar, the man jumped up and slammed the Puncher straight into the creature's "maw". The Arachne shook its head, more in confusion than anything else as Cola landed with a roll and sprinted out from under the creature.

"Bayard!" I shouted and I tossed Melodic Cudgel to him, which he caught deftly. He eyes glinted with realization and he leveled the weapon as the Arachne tossed its head wildly.

It didn't matter that the Grimm's anatomy was alien to anything living, there was something stuck in its mouth; so it was going to do the natural thing, it was going to try and spit it out.

Bayard took a deep breath, and then fired.

The Grimm's proboscis began to emerge from the depths when the round slammed into the Arachne's face, and once more the earthen mass erupted into existence, effectively plugging it shut as the explosive went off.

The Grimm tore holes in the ground with its legs in rage as smoke erupted from beneath the earthen mass. Bayard tossed Melodic Cudgel back to me, "Well I have to say, that's hurt it more than anything else we've done." He acknowledged.

The Arachne dashed its face into the ground, rubbing off the earth stuck to its mask. Pieces of its bony armor fell to the floor as the bottom part of its face mask shattered, revealing an equally armored set of mandibles that clattered and snapped.

"But I don't know how much more of that I have in me." Bayard said, grimacing, "So I hope that you've got a good plan."

"Me too." I answered as I loaded another round into Melodic Cudgel.

"Hah." Bayard grinned and for the first time I noticed how pale his face was, how labored his breathing was, "You sound just like your father."

I blinked at that, "Thanks, I guess."

The Arachne let out a chattering roar and drove its front two legs into the ground as it prepared to charge at us.

"So what is the plan?" Bayard asked.

"For now, survive." I answered.

"Heh," Bayard dropped into a combat stance, his two pistols brandished, "I like it."

The Arachne launched itself forward this time, coming at us in a bounding leap with all of its spiked legs bearing down on us. I dropped into a roll to dodge the initial strike, and barely twisted away as another limb lashed out at me, causing my cheek to sear with pain as it left a bloody line across it. Then I was out of the forest of limbs, running away from the creature, Bayard loping along beside me.

Then without warning, the older man stumbled and fell to one knee, one of his hands clutching at his chest.

I didn't hesitate, sliding to his side, I shoved him onto my shoulder and began half-carrying him away. The Grimm continued to stamp around where we had been just moments before for a couple of seconds, buying us precious time as we stumbled away.

Cola was beside me in an instant, grabbing Bayard from me; I nodded my thanks to him as we ran. The Arachne finally realized that we had escaped and let out a hiss as it turned to face us.

However, there was another sound that drowned that out, it was a roar of colossal proportions, as though from a hundred throats that echoed throughout the building.

"Sounds like Neo's doing her part." Cola noted

I nodded, my heart in my throat; hoping that she was okay, something in my peripheral made me turn my head and my eyes widened.

The Arachne had hunched down to the ground and yellow crystals were erupting all over its armor, "Oh you've to be kidding me." I muttered.

Unfortunately that wasn't the case, and I watched in disbelief as electricity arched from the crystals, launching towards us in a wave.

Before it reached us however, it suddenly arched back around and splashed harmlessly against the wall. The Rashin twins stepped forward, both of their hands raised, electricity sparking from their bodies.

"I do believe that you owe us, Baron Laisren." Jocasta smirked.

I grinned weakly, "It would appear so." I agreed.

"Sister, it's coming around." Menek growled.

The Arachne hunched down and yet more of the yellow crystals began to emerge, the air reeked of ozone as yet another, even larger wave of electricity washed forward towards us.

The Rashin twins put their hands out, and the electricity slowed to a crawl; with a shout, the two of them began to turn it harmlessly away once more.

That's when the Arachne's true surprise in the form of two spires of rock erupted from the electricity waves, launching towards the two Faunus.

I didn't even think, lunging for the closest of the two Rahin, bringing them down to the ground; there was a loud, wet-sounding _thump_ and a small gasp before the heavy sound of a body hitting the ground.

Menek Rashin's face, for that's who I had tackled out of the way of the deadly projectile, went white as he shoved me away shooting to his feet and running to a spot behind us.

I turned around to see that he had fallen to his sister's side, who was stirring weakly on the ground; the spire of rock impaling her through her chest.

"Brother?" Jocasta called weakly, her voice trembling, "Brother, where are you?"

Menek looked down at the gaping wound and his mouth spasmed slightly. Gently, he reached over and grabbed her hand, "I'm here sister." He told her.

Jocasta turned her head side to side, "Brother, I can't see.. Why can't I see?" She convulsed slightly, "It hurts." She moaned

Menek laid his other hand on her shoulder, "It's okay sister," He told her, "It's all going to be okay."

She shivered, a thin line of blood trailing from her lips, "So cold." And with that, her entire body went limp.

Menek bowed his head, his entire body shaking; a low sound began in his throat, at first a groan, and becoming a bloodcurdling scream as he threw back his head.

He whipped towards the Grimm, his mouth parted in a wild snarl; electricity crackled around him in sheets as he rose to his feet and he let out a another scream full of pain and rage. A spear five times his size formed in the air beside him, made entirely out of electricity that crackled and spat. Before I could shout a warning, he threw his arm forward and the weapon flew at the Grimm.

The electricity connected with the Arachne head on, but simply washed over it, sucking into the yellow crystals on the Grimm's back; and they began to emit a brilliant glow.

"Oh shit." I cursed, I yanked out my scroll, "Neo, if you are even remotely in position, do it, do it now!"

The Arachne bunched itself up and there was an ominous hum as waves upon waves of electricity formed up above it; the electricity then launched forward in a ball of crackling death.

Menek Rashin thrust out both hands and the ball slowed down, but continued to crawl forward inch by inch, despite the Faunus man's best efforts.

The scroll in my hand came to life, "Blowing them now!" Neo shouted over it.

I lunged forward, snatching Menek Rashin by the back of the collar and dragging him as I ran from the center of the room; the electrical death ball, now no longer held in check began to roll forward towards us in an implacable wave. Menek, continued to struggle, snarling obscenities at me as he tried to throw himself back towards the Grimm.

A large ebony hand grabbed Menek bodily by the head and yanked him up off his feet, "Allow me." Cola growled.

I nodded my thanks to him, and focussed solely on escaping the giant ball of electric death behind us, trying to make it to the tunnel. Despite being relieved of the surviving Rashin twin however, I was too slow, I wasn't going to make it.

That was when the entire world rumbled and exploded.

* * *

The ceiling above us cracked and split apart, rocks the size of Bullheads rained down on the center of the room; crashing to the ground in a crushing hail. The ball of electricity was snuffed out of existence as a rock fell on top of it.

I dived forward into the tunnel, Cola dashing in beside me. The tunnels walls protected us from the worst of it, but bits of rock still hammered at me as stone sharpnel flew everywhere.

However, the rain of stone was nothing compared to the Hesparian that fell down shortly afterward.

As Cola had said, the massive Grimm might have been almost fatally wounded in the earlier explosion, but it was still a mass of writhing fury and hate. It crashed down the ground, noticeably much smaller than it had been in the heating room. Almost instantly it lashed out, its tails slamming down at the rubble that surrounded it.

As soon as it did so, the Arachne emerged from the stone.

The Grimm's armor was cracked all along its back, the crystals there shattered by the impact of the falling rocks; pieces of bone-plating flew as it lunged forward, sinking its front legs into the Hesparian.

The snake Grimm let out a roar and lashed its tails around, hammering at the Arachne as it worked its legs, slashing and cutting at the Hesparian. Finally, the Arachne hunched down and the crystals lit up once more; electricity washing over the two forms. The air reeked of charring flesh as the Hesparian gave one final roar and then collapsed, black smoke coming off in geysers as it finally died.

For a moment I stared, the sheer, raw power of the two Grimm was awe-inspiring, almost overwhelming. It would have taken a small armory just to finish off the Hesparian, and yet the Arachne had just done it in a matter of seconds.

The fight however, as well as the barrage of stone, had finally damaged it. Its once pristine white armor was chipped and cracked everywhere; bits of dark flesh finally showed in patches. The light in the crystals on its back winked out of existence, and as I watched, the crystals themselves shattered and fell to the ground.

That was when Neo materialized on top of it, and jammed something into one of the newly unarmored patches at its neck, before she leapt away, the afterimage shattering shortly afterward.

For a moment the Arachne chattered in pain and rage, but that chattering became a screaming hiss as the flesh there bulged obscenely beneath the plating; green acid bubbled out from underneath, acrid black smoke boiling forth.

The Arachne took one step, and then another; but then wobbled and fell over, letting out one final hiss as it fell still.

For a moment, I couldn't believe it was actually dead. Finally a torrent of black smoke began to rise from its corpse and I breathed a huge sigh of relief. The Grimm was finally slain; but this was no time to celebrate, I turned my attention to the reactor tower, there was still a city to save.


	44. Chapter 44

**Thanks to** **TehGramerPolise for his help** **with this chapter.**

* * *

I wasted no time; running straight to the reactor tower. Of course, the console that was normally hooked up to it was smashed to bits. So I pulled out my scroll and began typing rapidly.

I heard someone step up next to me, "Never again, you hear me?" Neo told me,  
The next time you want a Hesparian baited, you do it yourself."

"I'll keep it in mind." I answered as I bent down and yanked out the cords connecting the reactor to the obliterated computer; wiring them into my scroll instead.

I waited as the scroll connected and then a schematic appeared on the screen, as well as several controls; I quickly punched it to perform a diagnostic. I watched with bated breath as a progress bar came up. It was almost done when there was a loud beep and a section on the schematic flashed red.

"Damn it." I cursed as I began typing.

"How bad?" Neo asked.

"Finding out now." I punched in a command and a series of text ran down the screen, "Damn it, the conducting coils are busted, they must have gotten hit when the rocks came down."

Neo winced, "I guess that's what happens when you drop massive rocks in a reactor room."

"It was the only thing I could think of, and the tower is sloped, the risk was minimal." I told her, "It's more likely that the Hesparian damaged them as it was falling."

Neo nodded at that, "So what exactly does that mean?" She asked me.

I set the scroll down as I looked up, "It means that when we overload this thing, the electricity won't flow to the dishes like we want it to." I told her, "We need to repair the gap."

"What do we need to do that?" Cola asked as he walked up behind us, the two remaining mercenaries flanking him.

I swiped the schematic off to the side as I began putting in some calculations, "We can't just stick anything in there." I answered, "Only specially mixed alloys can handle even the normal load of power that runs through those coils."

Cola pursed his lips, "Would there be a replacement part in storage?" He asked.

I shook my head, "There are backups in place if a malfunction like this were to happen; unfortunately, with the amount of power we're going to be shooting out of the reactor that's out of the question."

Neo cleared her throat, causing both Cola and myself to turn, "So the core problem is that we need something to conduct the electricity past the gap right?"

I followed her gaze to see Menek Rashin desperately shoving at a boulder, a splash of blood spread around it. My heart did a flip as I realized what she was getting at, I grimaced, "While I think he'd be capable of doing what would be required," I admitted, "I don't know if he'd be willing to do it.

Cola stepped forward, "He doesn't have a choice." He growled, the faintest hint of his Semblance leaking into his voice.

I winced, and something made me step forward, "Please, just let me try to convince him first."

Cola lifted an eyebrow, "Very well," He acquiesced, "You have five minutes."

I mustered my courage and quickly picked my way through the stones that covered the floor; as I approached Menek leaned against the boulder. His hands bled from his attempts and he feebly continued to try and shove it aside.

"Menek…" I began.

He froze, and his shoulders hunched, "You couldn't even leave me her body." He accused quietly.

I winced, "I'm sorry, there was no other way."

"Like hell there wasn't," He snarled, "We could've escaped just fine, gotten away before Mantle burned to the ground. But no, you and that bastard just had to play hero and conscript us along into it."

"Menek, it's not just playing hero." I told him, "Jocasta she-"

The Faunus man was on me in a second, and I barely managed to get Melodic Cudgel up in time to block a pair of arcing blows, "Don't you _dare_ speak her name!" He screamed at me, "Why the hell am I alive?! Why me and not her?! It's because you _just had to be the hero_!" He suddenly stopped, slumping over. "You didn't save me…" He said, his voice bitter, "You damned me to this hell… a hell where I will always be alone."

It felt like he had jabbed me in the heart with a dagger, I opened my mouth once, then twice, but before I could say anything; Cola set his hand on my shoulder, "Time's up." He told me; before I could protest, he turned to Menek.

"Menek Rashin, stand up." He commanded.

The Faunus man jerked upright, his face twisted in a snarl of futile defiance as Cola's Semblance forced him to obey.

"Follow me, hands by your sides." Cola commanded again; I watched helplessly as Cola led Menek Rashin over to Neo. She hesitated for a moment as the two approached, then looked up at me, her eyes holding a silent question.

I nodded my head.

She put her hands on Cola and Menek and the next instant they were gone.

I shook myself and forced myself back to the reactor; picking up my scroll once more I began typing in the commands that would cause the reactor to overload, overriding the failsafe as I did so.

"Ready?" I called into my scroll.

"Ready." Neo called back.

I slammed the command and the reactor began to give off a high-pitched whine. Soon, bolts upon bolts of electricity were coursing upward and I could see what was happening outside in my mind's eye.

The dishes on the top of the tower would spark, and then be covered with electricity, and as I typed in the command for those dishes to discharge; every Grimm flying over the city would be incinerated… assuming of course that nothing went wrong.

"Here we go." I breathed as I punched in the final command.

* * *

I spent several agonizing minutes waiting as the reactor shot bolt after bolt of pure energy upwards; the hairs all over my body standing on end as the static electricity filled the air.

Finally, after what seemed like eternity, there was a loud _snap_ and the reactor spat, sputtered, and finally began whirring down to a halt. Within another minute, the room was eerily silent as the reactor finally gave out.

I yanked my scroll away from the cords and yanked out the radio that was keyed in to Sunil's frequency. "This is Baron Laisren, report."

A moment later, Sunil's voice came over the speaker, "This Sunil responding, I'm assuming the light show was your doing?"

I grinned, "I can neither confirm nor deny that… how's the sky looking?"

"Just about clear, we should be able to mop up the last of the airborne Grimm with our more experienced pilots and have the rest begin strafing runs on your order."

I nodded, "Do it, stay safe Sunil."

"You as well Baron, Sunil out."

I put the radio away just as Cola, Neo, and Menek popped back into existence. Almost as soon as they did so, Menek slumped down to the floor, his eyes dull and lifeless; Neo caught him before he fell flat and leaned him up against the side of the now silent reactor.

"Excellent work." Cola told me, "I've contacted my forces, they should be landing in short order. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll collect Bayard and Sivimi and we can get out of here." He turned and began walking back to the maintenance tunnel entrance; leaving Neo and myself with the collapsed Faunus.

I knelt down in front of Menek, "Menek?" I called, "Menek?"

"There's no use." Neo told me. I looked up at her, there was just the barest hint of shaking in her voice, and one look at her eyes showed me that was trying hard not to cry.

"What happened?" I asked softly.

She bit her lip, "It was Cola." She told me, "He told Menek to use his Semblance, but he refused, something about we could all join his sister. Cola went up to him and looked him in the eyes; and he just kept repeating something over and over under his breath." She shuddered, "Blood started coming out of Menek's eyes and then suddenly he just kind of slumped over and looked like… like that."

She shook her head, "He then just kind of step back and told Menek again to use his Semblance he did it, but the way he moved was just all _wrong_. Like a zombie or something…" She averted her gaze from the Faunus man and shivered.

I put my hand on her shoulder, recalling when Cola had shown me the traitorous Odell; how he had casually talked of driving nails through the man's hands, crippling them forever. While had had been a kind, and even loving, man to us- there was a side of Cola that was as cold and ruthless as a winter storm.

Neo had just seen that side, and apparently it had shocked her to her core. I pulled her close, "It's okay, we'll make sure both of them are remembered as the heroes that they were." I told her, "I promise."

The thought of that seemed to comfort her slightly, "You think they'll tell stories about them?" She asked me.

"I know they will." I told her, "Now come on," I hefted Menek onto my shoulder and began to walk over to where Cola was gathering up Bayard and Sivimi, "Let's see just how much of the city is left."

It only occurred to me after we were boarding the Bullhead that Lusban brought around to pick us up in that I had spoken of the two as if Menek was already dead.

If that had been true... I wonder just how different everything that followed would have been.

* * *

It turned out, not quite as much as we might have hoped. We stood in the Bullhead, Lusban flying us around to survey the battle. Now that we ruled the skies, the Grimm were being slaughtered in the hundreds. Cola's mercenaries struck hard and fast wherever they landed, quickly rendezvousing with surviving Mantle forces to establish safe zones and perimeters.

It was as we were flying that Neo tapped me on the shoulder, "Look." She said, pointing down at one of the city streets.

I followed her finger to see a man wearing Harkin colors running from a pair of Beowolves, "Lusban!" I shouted.

He looked down and the nodded an acknowledgment, he unlimbered the guns of the Bullhead and swooped in. The guns roared and the Beowolves were reduced to nothing more than smoking paste, but rather than be relieved by the death of his pursuers; the man jumped up and down, waving his arms frantically.

"Interesting." Cola muttered.

"How so?" Neo asked him.

"The direction he's running takes him directly away from the south gate of the Royal District." Cola mused.

"Lusban, put us down." I said, my mind running along similar thoughts.

Lusban did so and lowered the ramp, and soon the man was pounding up it, "Please! You have to help!" He shouted.

"Slow down," Cola told him, his Semblance creeping in, "Tell us what happened."

The man took a few deep breaths, but his eyes were still panicked as he spoke; "The Royal District has been breached," He told us, "The Palace itself is falling; the High Nobility Electors are stuck inside."

I had whirled around before the man's words had even left his mouth, "Lusban! Take us to the Royal District!" I ordered.

* * *

When I had first seen the Royal District, I had been in awe; buildings that had stood for decades, if not centuries had risen high into the sky.

Now, I could only gaze out at the devastation, a lump in my throat.

The buildings had been shattered all round us, blocks of stone lay on the ground. Blood and broken bodies littered the courtyards of palaces where kings and queens had once housed their courts. Grimm were the sole occupants of many of those now; howling and snarling as we flew past.

Of all of the buildings however, none had suffered more than the Palast Der Konigs. The walls were crumbling, with large gaping holes in its walls. Several of its spiralling towers had fallen; their stones scattered on the ground.

My heart fell, in seeing that colossal building in such a state; I had seen an open, gaping wound in Mantle's very heart. Every hole, every shattered tower was an invisible tear in the Kingdom of Mantle's very soul. Even if the physical structure were to be rebuilt… the very idea of the indestructible palace at the center of Mantle was gone forever.

There was a large explosion and even from here I could hear the furious snarling and pain-filled whines of Grimm.

Cola walked up next to me, "I have reinforcements enroute, but it will take time."

"It looks like there's still some people still alive." I noted.

Cola leaned forward and nodded, "Excellent, we can ask them where the Electors are."

I nodded, "Lusban! Take us into the Palace!"

The man nodded, the holes punched into the stone walls were large enough that we could have fit several Bullheads side by side;he was able to easily maneuver the airship to lower the ramp to offload us into the building.

Neo, Cola, Bayard, and myself got off the ramp, along with the two remaining mercenaries.

Lusban pulled the Bullhead away, and we sprinted down the hall, following the sound of combat.

We arrived upon a scene out of a nightmare; an entire section of the floor had caved in for multiple levels, creating a ramp of stone up which at least fifty Beowolves were clawing their way up. Standing at the top of the ramp were four men in armor, three of them wielded long pikes that they stabbed at the Beowolves, dislodging them before they could reach the top. The last of them was firing a large revolver, cooly picking his shots, each resulting in a dead Grimm.

"Take them out." Cola growled as he lifted his own weapon, Bayard and the two mercenaries did the same, and in a matter of moments, the Beowolves were dead.

The three men slumped on the ground, breathing hard from their exertions, the revolver-wielding man however, nodded to us, "Thank you for your assistance, Baron Laisren." He called.

"Colonel Ironwood wasn't it?" I asked him, "We had heard that the High Nobility Electors were in danger and came as quickly as we could; what's the situation?"

"Currently the heads of Houses Rathers, Harkin, Steelhammer, and Rouge are in the Council Room and are under attack." Ironwood replies. "Aurantius Talguard fell on the field, and Addie Ronston's ship was brought down as she was trying to escape. The location of Lady Elector Fedha Cognita is unknown, but presumably still within the Palace."

"Damn," I cursed as I considered how best to handle the situation.

"Allow Bayard and myself to secure the Council Room." He suggested, "With Neopolitan's Semblance you can cover more ground quickly; you can then bring Fedha and join us."

"What of Ironwood and his men?" I asked him quietly.

Cola pursed his lips as he considered them, "They'll slow us down." He answered, "I'll leave my mercenaries with them to secure the path behind us and join us when they're able."

I considered that for a moment, then turned to Ironwood, "My… associate, would be willing to secure the Council Room. I will search for Lady Elector Cognita and rendezvous with you."

Ironwood's eyes narrowed, but he nodded, "Very well. You have my thanks."

"Come Bayard." Cola commanded, and with alarming speed, he vaulted up the stone ramp and dashed past Ironwood; Bayard following closely behind.

"Neo, if you would be so kind?"

She nodded and placed her hand on my shoulder and the next moment we had disappeared.

We leapt frantically through the building, appearing in hallways and rooms full of blood and corpses; sometimes with Grimm still stood over them. The whole experience became a sort of macabre slideshow, and it was a relief when we finally appeared in a room and there was someone still alive.

There were three people all huddled behind a large piano, one of them was General Briars of the Army of Mantle; who let out a squeal as we appeared out of thin air.

"Oh Baron Laisren! Thank the Maidens!" He scrambled to his feet; "Please, we must evacuate immediately! The Grimm are attacking!"

"You don't say?" I asked drily, "Have you seen Fedha Cognita?"

"Lady Elector Cognita?" He shuddered, "Last I saw, she was attempting to reach the palace library. I told her to stay put, but she wouldn't hear of it."

I turned to Neo and nodded, and we teleported once more, twice more, and soon we were in a massive room that contained bookshelves that stretched off into the ceiling.

"So I'm sure you noticed the two women that were with the good general," Neo commented, "Neither them his wife of twenty years."

I grunted an acknowledgment, "Indeed… although considering his task was to defend the city with his life; I think adultery is the least of his concerns."

We were interrupted by a loud scream of pain from a Grimm.

We readied our weapons and ran towards the source of the sound; we rounded the corner to find the twitching, smoking remains of a Beowolf Alpha laying behind a cowled figure that was browsing the shelf.

"Ah, good some helping hands." Fedha Congita remarked as we arrived, "Here, if you would be so kind." She indicated a pile of books lying on the table.

"Grab those, and please do be careful, they are some of the only physical copies in the kingdom."

Neo raised an eyebrow in an unspoken question and I shrugged, walking over to pick up the books, "Lady Elector Cognita." I said humbly, "I must insist that we hurry, the Grimm-"

"The Grimm are an eternal pest; and thus can wait." She selected three of the books and put them on the table, "I refuse to sacrifice priceless knowledge to beasts."

"A commendable ideal, Lady Elector." I noted.

She didn't bother replying to that, and instead selected another five books on the shelf before sighing, "Very well; by far these are the most important." She hefted the books in her arms and walked over to Neo.

"Well then, you possessed a teleporting Semblance did you not? Must be quite convenient."

"Most certainly, Lady Elector Cognita." Neo replied politely.

Neo put her hands on the two of us, and we teleported.

* * *

We arrived in the hallway that lead to the Council Room to find the remains of a battleground. The walls were coated with blood and gore, bodies of servants and soldiers alike were sprawled everywhere.

Finally, we came to the entrance to the Council Room itself and froze.

The walls had been caved in, and the door itself had been ripped off its hinges; I set the books carefully on the ground, strangely mindful of Lady Elector Cognita's gaze.

We cautiously advanced, weapons drawn, and emerged into the Council Room.

Cola was slumped up against the wall, his mechanical arm ripped out of the socket; he turned his head and gave us a weak grin, "You should see the other guy." He told us.

My heart did a flip and I ran to kneel beside him, "What the hell happened? Where's Bayard and Ironwood?"

"Lord Elector Rouge was in critical condition." He answered, "They're getting him to an airship… the rest." He nodded his head across from him. I followed his gaze and my eyes went wide.

I had seen so many corpses that day that just a few more seemed unextraordinary… but if I was understanding what Cola was saying…

"Shit," I breathed, Rathers… Harkin… Ronston… Steelhammer… Talguard... perhaps even Rouge; almost the entire High Nobility Electorship was dead in a single day.

It would be miracle if the entire kingdom of Solitas didn't collapse into chaos after this… the capital practically destroyed by Grimm; the ruling body almost wiped out.

Cola groaned slightly and I turned my attention back to my mentor.

"What about you?" Neo asked him, "You look like hell."

He grunted, "Looks worse than it is." He assured us, "I'll be up in a minute…"

The stone beneath us shifted and there was a deep groan as the building began to rumble.

"Don't think we have a minute," I stood up, "Lady Elector!" I shouted.

She ran over to us, books in her arms and we gathered around Neo who took a deep breath.

* * *

We reappeared on the side of the building, still probably a couple hundred meters from the ground.

"Too much." She panted, her eyes dull and lifeless, "Out of… Aura."

"Grab on to me, now!" Cola commanded, his Semblance lashing at us.

We obeyed instantly, letting out a roar, he slammed his cane into the wall, slowing down our momentum. He then yanked it away, letting us fall; then just before we hit the ground, he slammed in his cane again.

We slowed down once more, but then there was a massive _crack_ like a shot as the cane snapped. With a snarl, Cola slammed a fist into the wall, digging a small crater and halting us completely where we dangled above the ground, the building toppling above us.

"Umbrella." He spat.

I grabbed Neo's umbrella and deployed it, Cola pushed off with his legs, shooting us away from the collapsing structure and we floated gently down to the ground.

"Well that was… exhilarating." Lady Elector Cognita gasped.

I grinned slightly at that and was about to reply, but it was drowned out by the crashing of stone as the Palace der Konigs… the building that had stood for centuries…collapsed into a final ruin.

We all stared at the heap of ruined stone… well after the sounds of its death throes had gone silent.

"What now?" Neo asked, her quiet question deafening in the sudden silence.

No one answered.

* * *

First came Cola's reinforcements, then came Ironwood with the Army of Mantle, securing the perimeter and bringing us the news that Lord Elector Carmesian Rouge had passed away from his injuries.

That meant that Sange would be Lord Elector, I realized numbly, although for the life of me I couldn't fathom what being a Lord Elector would even mean anymore after this.

After them came first responder teams, and nipping at their heels… journalists.

They hovered around, constantly barking questions at anyone that they could find. Fedha Cognita had made herself scarce before they arrived enmasse; so it was Ironwood who was left looking the most official, and therefore it was him in particular that they swarmed around like locusts.

"Why wasn't the Army of Mantle better prepared?"

"Just how do you plan to rebuild?"

"When will the members of the High Nobility Electorship be decided?"

"What are your plans for restoring the CCT tower?"

Question after question; the poor man was drowning in them and had answers for none of them.

Cola smiled softly as he watched, "The price of power." He remarked.

I shook my head, "He's a capable enough soldier; they'll probably make him a general after this."

"True," Cola looked out around at the devastation, "You know…" He said, "This reminds me of a story…"

Neo lifted an eyebrow, "Oh?"

"The frogs of the swamp once desired a king." Cola said, "So they demanded one from the Brothers. At first the Brothers sent them a log, and the frogs were long content just simply having the king in their midst; going about their daily lives."

He grimaced as Bayard put the finishing touches on attaching a new mechanical arm, and he continued, "Then a storm came and washed away their homes, and so they turned to their log king, but it just simply floated there, providing no answers and no guidance."

"One of the largest and wisest of the frogs then took it upon himself to lead his kind to repair their homes. He did this work capably and well, but he was so plain, and so horribly unregal that the frogs were unhappy. So they demanded of the Brothers once again to send them a _real_ king. This request angered them; so they sent a stork. A kingly bird indeed, with beautiful plumage, taller than any frog, and with a stern visage… all of which the stork used to feast upon its foolish subjects."

Bayard patted him on the shoulder, "Try it now." He told him.

Cola turned the new arm around and made a fist, nodding appreciatively, "Excellent work Bayard." He commented.

"So is there a moral to that story?" I asked Cola.

He stood up, "I hope so." He replied and he stepped up to the mob. It parted before him in a manner that made it seem like it was just a natural phenomenon. A murmur went up in the crowd as more and more of the members took note of the giant ebony man that was strolling through their midst. I doubt that most of those present knew who he really was; but all could feel his commanding presence.

With everyone's eyes upon him, Cola Malaika stepped up next to Ironwood and then nodded to him. He then turned to the crowd, "Hello, my fellow citizens of Solitas." He boomed, "I am Blaze Untara of the Atlas Emergency Council; I have some statements regarding the recent tragedy that has befallen our great kingdom."

* * *

You may or may not have heard the speech that followed; it is considered one of the most inspiring and enrapturing speeches of all time. Of course however, it's controversial considering its source and thus finds its way into few curriculum. In that speech, Cola declared that the Atlesian Emergency Council would rule from Atlas while Mantle recovered; fulfilling its primary purpose in Solitas' time of need. Unlike Ironwood, he had an eloquent and practical answer for every question, as though he had thought of each and every problem in advance.

The most extraordinary part of the whole thing however, was when Cola suddenly hesitated, looking down on the ground before turning his gaze back to the crowd that stood, spellbound; microphones and cameras fixated on him. "In this time of uncertainty, I realize that many of you will be questioning just who will be leading you into the future. You will have seen the name, 'Blaze Untara'; it is after all, an important name, being both on the Atlesian Emergency Council, as well as on the board of Atlas Academy." He smiled softly, "It is however, also an empty name… a name that only applies to an incorporeal figure; a shadow. Blaze Untara has never held a party, fought in a duel, not even participated in a real public speaking event. That is, until now."

He fell silent, his cold, blue eyes falling upon the crowd, "However, in the times to come; Solitas will need more than a mere shadow that will melt away; no, we need something more." He lifted his chin, "My real name, is Cola Malaika; and I vow that with your help, I will rebuild Solitas to become even greater than it has ever been."

The crowd suddenly cheered, and I was slightly caught off guard. Cola Malaika after all was a feared name, a crime lord; the leader of Red Snow. However, it was then that I realized, it was a feared name, but it also was a respected name; a name of power. Solitas had just been brought to its knees, and one of its strongest champions was stepping forth out of the shadows.

Cola continued answering questions for hours, until finally he closed with a small speech and whisked Ironwood away to speak privately. The crowd dispersed quickly, no doubt every journalist rushing to a short-wave radio to start the relay that would enable them to break the story first.

I finally turned away feeling numb, I had a strange awareness I had just watched one of the most consequential moments in history. Indeed I had, after all, it was from that day forward that Atlas, not Mantle, would rule Solitas. To the point that its name would even be changed to reflect it. Mantle has never recovered since that day, not fully; and thus a place of power and glorious splendor was brought to its knees; another taking its place.

It's at this point that I have to warn that moving forward, you will have heard an… 'official' story to all of these events. I say 'official', mostly because it's most certainly full of crap. Of course, you only have my word for that; but hey, you've read this far. If anyone is reading this by the way, if you ever breathe a word of any of what I tell you... expect to see the inside of a prison cell far less luxurious than the one I'm in for the rest of your life. If you're fortunate.

That being said… let's get seditious… shall we?


	45. Chapter 45

**Thanks to** **TehGramerPolise for his help** **with this chapter.**

* * *

Journal Entry 318

The Three Reapers, The Three Days of Hell, The Three Tolls… there are a multitude of different names for the Three Days of Darkness. Go figure that we both decide on the most boring and most literal name for such an apocalyptic event.

At its face, it really was three days of absolute darkness, about 72 hours of night generated by the bizarre eclipse that struck Remnant. In that short of time, the Kingdom of Mantle fell to its knees. Don't get me wrong, other kingdoms suffered too; Grimm that hadn't been seen in decades came out of the woodwork to terrorize humans and Faunus alike. However, while in other kingdoms the damage mainly came to small cities and towns- Mantle was unique in that its very capital was sacked. And while our intervention temporarily drove the Grimm away from Mantle, they continued to attack in waves all over Solitas. It was on the third and final night that they finally came for Atlas.

I think that's a pretty exciting place to pick up again...

* * *

It began as quite a number of things do, with a call.

I was in the Laisren board room, which had resembled more of a wartime headquarters than a company meeting place. Short range radio transmitters were set up on tables around the room, a holographic map of Solitas was on the main table, which tracked both the movements of the Grimm as well as the positions of the forces of Mantle.

At the time the call came in, I was talking with Sunil, "I don't care what you have to offer them." I spat, "They're paid to protect that mine and make sure it stays open, they'd better damn well do it. I've already sent at least thirty Bullheads to assist them; everything else is making sure that we don't have another disaster like with the Talguard. Go." He nodded and the screen winked out.

I sighed as I pinched the bridge of my nose, and my scroll rang again. I groaned slightly and answered it, "C'mon Cola, give me some good news."

My old mentor's expression was grave, "No such luck, a tunnel opened up in the Rincewind Mountains."

My eyes widened, "How? That's supposed to be solid rock…"

"Unknown." He replied, "But apparently a Mammoth Matriarch was underneath; it's leading a herd of Goliaths straight towards Atlas Academy."

"Damnit, of course it is." I eyed our map, "Let me guess, no one else is even close."

"Three hours out," Cola confirmed, "I'm sorry to ask this of you, but we can't afford to lose the Academy, not right after what happened to Mantle; people are barely holding onto the remnants of hope as it is."

I scowled as I rose out of my chair; he was right of course, "We're on it." I told him; and cut the connection. I began walking towards the docking bay and I keyed in the transmitter in my collar, "Neo, this is Rowan, get the Rhino, we've got an emergency."

"Thank the Maidens, I've been so bored just waiting around here." She replied as I got into the elevator, "What do we get to kill?"

"You don't want it to be a surprise?" I joked.

"Oh, that is tempting; fine then, at least tell me where we're going."

"Atlas Academy." I replied, "And it's a Mammoth Matriarch, herd of Goliaths at its back."

There was silence over the transmitter, "Rowan, our armory is threadbare, we don't have anything that can kill something like that."

She was right of course, our armory was nearly empty, and the few warheads we had left wouldn't be enough to take down a Matriarch. Its armor was too thick and the Grimm itself too large; it would take a great deal of explosive force in order to so much as wound it.

"That's why I'm taking a little detour." I told her, "Meet me at the shipyard."

"I am not going to like this am I?"

I grinned.

* * *

"I knew it." Neo said, her voice a mixture of unease and weariness.

"I want you know that I don't exactly like this either." I replied as I carefully soldered a wire, "There's enough Dust here to power at least fifty Bullheads." I had commandeered the engines of three warships that had been under construction, emptying them of everything that could be used to blow something up. It was easily going to put us weeks behind schedule... but big problems require big solutions.

She turned away from the controls, "Why couldn't you get like… _anyone_ _else_ to do this?" She asked, "Why are we stuck with creating a makeshift ultra-bomb in the back of an airship?"

"All of our other engineers are busy keeping our airships in the sky." I replied, "I'm the only one qualified whose on hand." Plus I had been getting bored simply being cooped up in the boardroom- but I wasn't going to admit that part.

She scowled as she turned back around, "We're almost there; will be getting a visual in…" She trailed off.

I lifted an eyebrow, "What is it?" I asked her.

"Nothing, just uh… damn that's a big Grimm."

I looked up to peer out the cockpit window and my eyes widened.

In terms of rare Grimm, Mammoth Matriarchs are actually rather boring; just imagine a Goliath, now imagine it several times bigger… as in several stories tall and wide. Therein almost lies the problem, it's incredibly hard to stop something driving that much mass forward- much less when it's covered with the bone-like armor of the Grimm.

Let me tell you though, it isn't all so clear-cut and boring when you actually see something like that with your own eyes.

To me, it seemed like it was almost ludicrously large, about half as high as a skyscraper and as wide as two battleships put side by side. How something alive could be so large and still walk on land without it collapsing beneath its feet is still quite frankly a little beyond my comprehension. There it was however, and there were twenty-one Goliaths marching alongside it; the large Grimm were almost laughably tiny in comparison.

The two of us stared for a bit, then Neo cleared her throat, "So uh… by any chance do you have a bigger bomb tucked away back there?"

I turned my gaze back to the device in front of me, it represented a lot of destructive force, easily enough to collapse several buildings… but this thing…

I shook my head as it suddenly seemed rather… insignificant. I mentally did the calculations again, and logically I knew that it should be enough, but it was hard to imagine that _several_ of the bombs like the one I was constructing would so much as even dent its armor.

"We'll just have to make do." I replied as I put the finishing touches on compressing the Dust in the auxiliary chamber.

"So what exactly is the plan here?" Neo asked.

"Get us above the Grimm, open the hatch, I roll the bomb out, and then you hit the boosters to get us away from the blast radius." I told her.

"Well that sounds easy." Neo said carefully..

I paused to think for a moment, then shrugged, "You know it actually should be; even if the blast reaches us, the Rhino's armor should be enough to protect us. The Goliaths and Matriarch can't exactly reach us as long as we're in the air. This _should_ be simple and straightforward."

Neo lifted an eyebrow, "Finally." Her hand danced across the controls, "Alright, opening the hatch now."

Cold wind lashed across my face as the access hatch slowly opened, revealing the snow-covered ground far beneath. While the Goliaths appeared to be only dog-sized black masses, the Matriarch itself still loomed even from way up here in the air.

I shrugged as I walked around the bomb, activated it, and then unhooked it from the loading ramp. I braced my shoulder against the device and heaved. Slowly, surely the bomb rolled down the ramp and then fell out into open air.

"It's away!" I cried.

The hatch began slowly closing as I turned and began walking to the cockpit, the floor beneath my feet rumbled as the Rhino began accelerating away.

There was a loud _wumph_ and a scream of pain that nearly deafened me, I stumbled slightly as the shock wave slammed against the airship, rocking it slightly. I regained my footing and climbed into the cockpit, Neo let us cruise a bit longer and then turned the airship around to survey the damage.

The good news, the Matriarch was toast, its limbs on the right side of its body had been blown away, it gave another trumpeting roar… slightly weaker this time as streams of black smoke began to rise from its body.

The bad news was that barely any of the Goliaths had been touched, the one that had been closest had been blasted into pieces, with only four smoking stumps remained. Another three had been blasted into the air, but they were slowly getting back to their feet. The rest were barely even fazed and the lead one let out a trumpetting roar as they began stampeding towards the Academy.

"Damn it." I muttered, it wasn't a bad result given how little time I had had to make the bomb, but it meant that there were still twenty extremely dangerous Grimm charging towards Atlas Academy.

"What's my target?" Neo asked as she brought the Rhino's weapons system online.

I grimaced as I looked out at the landscape below us, unfortunately, the ground was flat and stable, there would be no sinkholes or avalanches that could be used to take the Grimm out the easy way.

I leaned in, "Take out the lead one and work your way to the back if you can." I told her, "Goliaths tend to be some of the Girmm that care about self-preservation, maybe if we blast a few then the others will retreat.

Neo nodded, took a deep breath, and then opened fire; the rocket pods on the wings flared to life and the double nose-mounted machine guns began to churn, sending waves of steel and explosive death towards the Grimm below.

The lead Goliath screamed as it stumbled and then fell to its knees as the rounds punched past its armor and into the vulnerable flesh beneath. A second later, a pair of rockets slammed directly into its neck, blasting its head from its shoulders. The Goliaths to the sides simply ignored their stricken brethren, continuing their headlong run. However, the Grimm directly behind it slammed into it, coming to a halt, causing the others behind it to falter.

More importantly, however, they were bunched up, and Neo unloaded the rest of the rocket pods directly into that clump.

At least three of the Goliaths evaporated instantly as the warheads slammed into them, two more were horrifically wounded as shrapnels and flames bit at them, ripping gaping wounds in their skin. One of those collapsed, unmoving, but the other kept limping forward.

I eyed the remaining Grimm, of the three that had been knocked around by the bomb, one of them had collapsed, with the other two moving fast to rejoin the rest of the herd. Overall we were still left with fourteen Grimm still making their way towards the Academy.

I eyed the remaining Goliaths, "Take out the wounded." I told Neo, pointing at the one that had survived the barrage of rockets. Neo nodded and fired the guns in two swift bursts, putting the creature out of its misery before moving onto the two that had risen after the blast. Those took slightly longer, but eventually the red light in their eyes winked out as they fell to the ground.

"Lead ones again." I commanded and Neo flew the airship forward before opening fire once more.

One Goliath fell beneath a hail of bullets, then a second, a third… five of the Grimm had fallen by the time the guns fell silent and Neo shook her head, as the panel beeped loudly, "I'm out."

I grimaced, and leaned forward as I watched the remaining six Goliaths continue stampeding forward. "Fascinating." I murmured, "Just what could have driven these Grimm into such a frenzy? Goliaths almost never take these kind of losses and just keep going."

Neo cleared her throat and looked at the darkened sky, "I mean, it could the super-spooky, supernatural eclipse that's going on; just a guess though."

I grimaced, the eclipse had indeed driven many of the Grimm to a frenzied state. Of course whether that was people's emotional reaction to the eclipse itself and the fall of Mantle rather than just the event itself was difficult to tell. However... "Yeah, but they're charging the academy," I pointed out, "The eclipse has made Grimm more active sure; but there's got to be juicier and more vulnerable targets out there. These aren't Beowolves that will charge at the first thing they see; Goliaths and Matriarchs are smarter than that." I frowned as my mind raced, "Maybe they're-"

Neo let out a sigh of impatience, "Not important right now Rowan; what the hell are we going to do about the six Grimm that are currently barreling towards a bunch of novice Huntresses and Huntsmen?"

I scratched my chin as I thought about the problem, as I did so something caught my eye and I leaned forward, peering into the distance.

"Well, well, well." I murmured.

A pair of Bullheads were rapidly approaching from the Academy, I sat down in the copilot's chair and nodded towards them, "Looks like we have some reinforcements." I noted.

Neo followed my gaze and frowned, "There's no way that a Bullhead's guns will be enough to take down Goliaths."

That's when the hatch of the Bullheads opened and four people jumped from the first one and two from the second.

"I don't think that's their plan." I replied.

"They're going to fight them on foot?" Neo asked incredulously.

"Looks like it."

"Huh…" Neo pursed her lips, "So what do we do?" She asked me.

"See those Goliaths?" I asked.

She lifted an eyebrow, "Yeah?"

"Pick one that looked at you funny." I told her as I put one hand on her shoulder, and the other on the thruster controls.

* * *

The Rhino slammed into one of the Goliaths, cleaving it nearly in two as the metal punched through its flesh like the world's largest bullet. Neo and I softly glided to the ground a few moments later a few steps away from the six people who had come from the Academy.

Neo furled up her umbrella and I stepped forward, "Greetings." I called to them.

As is the way with Hunstmen and Huntresses, they were seemingly an odd collection of individuals. The first was a tall woman with rainbow colored hair that was pinned back in a ponytail, and a massive paintbrush was held in her hands. The second was an older man with a metal bo-staff; both were in the uniforms of teachers from Atlas Academy.

Behind them were four people that were about my age all wearing the uniforms of students from Atlas Academy- or at least three of them appeared to be; I couldn't tell as one of them was armored from head to toe in plate armor, a giant two-handed sword strapped to his back. Beside him was a dark-skinned young man wielding a shield that was several times his size. The third member of the group was a young woman with black hair, leather gloves covered her hands and she was casually twirling a large flail. Rounding out their party was…

"Winter Schnee." I lifted an eyebrow, "What an unexpected surprise."

"Baron Laisren." She responded and then bowed her head, "Thank you for your assistance. We will handle it from here."

I turned to the two teachers, "She speaks for you?"

The man smiled softly, "She does indeed; as you've reduced the herd by a good margin, we are here merely to supervise." He nodded, and the four students began trotting forward towards the Grimm. I turned to watch as the Goliaths continued their stampede, heedless of their oncoming foes.

"I see." I said slowly as Winter Schnee began shouting commands to her companions, "I take it then that you are quite confident in their abilities?"

"Indeed," The woman replied, "Team WNTR are the top team in the Academy. It will do them good to acquire more real combat experience."

"Oh by Maidens above, don't tell me that you've adopted that naming scheme." I groaned, "It's absolutely ridiculous."

The woman lifted an imperious eyebrow, "It helps solidify team identity and comradery." She stated hotly, "All Huntsmen and Huntress Academies utilize the standardized system; therefore we do the same."

I held up my hands in a placating gesture, "My apologies for my… ill-considered words Professor…"

"Vilmount."

"Professor Vilmount," I nodded slightly, "It has been a rather trying last few days."

Professor Vilmount considered me, and then bowed her head, "It would be churlish for me not to forgive you, considering the service you've rendered us."

"Rowan." Neo hissed.

I turned just as there was a loud roar filled with agony and I saw the last of the Goliaths fall to the ground spewing smoke. My eyes widened slightly, "Oh my." I breathed.

The man chuckled, "As you can see, it was no idle boast." He told me, They are truly skilled."

"Apparently." I replied dryly... Team WNTR had just slaughtered six Goliaths on foot in no time at all, 'skilled' didn't even begin to cover that kind of prowess.

The man nodded towards the Bullheads as they came in to land, "You may take one of the Bullheads to get back to Atlas." He told me, "Consider it a token of our appreciation."

I nodded, "My thanks," Then I frowned slightly, "I don't think I ever caught your name."

He bowed, "I am Headmaster Rufus Alsius; it was quite nice to meet you, Baron Laisren." With that, he led his compatriots to the waiting Bullhead.

* * *

It was the first time Neo and I had ever witnessed the new generation of Solitisian Huntresses and Huntsmen firsthand. While previously their ranks had been almost positively anemic when the best warriors served in the armies of the nobility or the crime lords, everything began to change when Winter Schnee had enrolled. There was now an honorable way for even those of the Merchant Nobility to serve without being forced to endure the corruption that had been so all-encompassing in the military before Ironwood took charge. Indeed, the black-haired girl with the flail it turned out had been a member of the Chandra family, a rather high-up metal and mineral mining family. In short, Atlas Academy had begun to recruit the talent as fastidiously as the crime lords of Solitas; they gathered the honorable and just, as the crime lords grabbed the desperate and the hungry.

Behind that recruitment drive had been Rufus Alsius, the Headmaster of the Academy, as had his father before him, and his mother before him and for generations. It would not be the last time I would see the Headmaster, and when I did, it would be under very different circumstances. However, that is a story for later.

About two hours after the encounter with the Matriarch and the Goliaths, the sun finally shone once again. Solitas had survived the Three Days of Darkness, battered and bruised to be sure, but alive. The scars from those three days are still there to this day; and some might even argue that in Mantle, the wounds still fester and rot. Regardless with peace finally in hand, the Atlesian Emergency Council could finally begin the lengthy process of rebuilding.

And rebuild it did, I don't think in the history of Remnant has a governmental body moved so fast, decisively and efficiently. Within a week, the Atlesian Emergency Council had organized several teams to begin both long term reconstruction as well as short-term housing and relief. To be fair, this is likely because unlike most governmental bodies, they didn't have to bother with things like bureaucracy, budgets or laws. After all, when two-thirds of your council is comprised of crime lords, you aren't particularly bothered by failing to pass decisions by committees.

I guess it wasn't so much that I hadn't expected Cola to be efficient in terms of logistics; it was how many things he was juggling at once. Because while he certainly was getting the job of actually fixing Mantle and helping its citizens done, he was also making other… more political moves.

For example, the… unification… of the Mantle Guard and the Army of Mantle. After all, the Talguard and their vassals had been the ones who had mostly comprised the Mantle Guard, and while they had served with valor and honor; they had ultimately been wiped out almost to a man. Therefore, the Army of Mantle was to adopt the Mantle Guard as an elite unit until such time as their numbers could recover and make splitting them into two forces again feasible.

Ever heard of the Knights of Mantle? Those pretty boys and girls that stand around during special functions that everybody sniggers at due to their funny looking helmets?

Yeah, Kuroi's idea… you wouldn't believe how having funny looking helmets can just really take the gravity and dignitas out of what used to be a truly powerful force.

Anyway, so that's the military force of the High Nobility just completely erased. Cola's next action was to play up Ironwood's heroic last stand of the Royal District to epic proportions. You couldn't turn on a news station for months without an interview from somebody declaring just how brave and noble _General_ Ironwood was. All the while there was whispering about a scandal that ran underneath all of the effusive praise about how General Briars had supposedly hid in the Palace with two of his many mistresses while the Grimm destroyed Mantle...

The good general had just enough political savvy to resign and very loudly proclaim that he was nominating James Ironwood as his replacement as head of the Army of Mantle. Turns out being in charge of the defense of a capital city and failing utterly can get you a nice retirement in Vacuo if you play your cards right. Ironwood for his part stolidly accepted the role, promising to protect all of the citizens of Solitas. He also vowed to uphold the honor and dignity of the position like those that came before him. To this day, I'm not sure if he really was that clueless about former General Briars or whether he actually really did just throw a truly masterful aspersion at his predecessor.

As for the AEC itself, it was quickly agreed that two more spots should be opened, with public elections to decide who would fill them. After all, the Atlesian Emergency Council previously had been a governmental body that had no real power. It would be quite untoward if the citizens of Solitas didn't have a chance to make sure that they had individuals that they could truly trust now that the body essentially ruled the whole kingdom.

Big shock, Ironwood was on the ballot- so that was one spot that was basically a shoo-in and he won by a landslide; though, to this day I'm not sure if Ironwood actually signed up himself, or whether Cola did it for him.

That left two major players that wanted in, Midas Iverson, and Jacques Schnee.

Let me give credit where credit is due, Jacques Schnee is a brutal businessman and is a decently savvy politically, the problem is that once again, he had a hard time understanding people.

Allow me to explain; when Mantle was beginning to rebuild, the Laisren Aerial Manufactory generously donated many of its airships to the reconstruction effort. After all, many supplies and materials were need and airships would be needed to transport them.

The crux of the issue is that a lot of Dust was one of those materials that was going to be needed. Jacques Schnee, being a businessman, had immediately sensed an opportunity and had gouged the prices of Schnee Dust. In the short term that made him a lot of lien, although he probably should have known something was wrong when not one of of the three members of the AEC protested in the slightest at the grotesque display of greed.

About a month later is when the election was announced, and guess what got waved around in everyone's faces?

That's right, how much money the Schnee Dust Company had made from Mantle's ongoing reconstruction.

Needless to say, as wall to wall coverage of his avarice was on display for all of Remnant to see, Jacques Schnee didn't even bother to continue running, deciding instead to resign from the race. Mida Iverson easily became the fifth member of the AEC.

So I know what you might be thinking, why didn't I run? After all, alongside Ironwood's own coverage, it was widely known that Baron Laisren and his yojimbo had saved Fedha Cognita, the only surviving member of the High Nobility Electorship; with Carmesian Rouge having passed away shortly after he arrived at the Mantle Medical Center.

I however, had not really taken much credit at all for the CCT tower's expulsion of electricity that destroyed so many of the Grimm in the air; I maneuvered to have much of that credit given to Menek and Jocasta Rashin. Whether or not Menek appreciated the gesture I didn't know, as he hadn't really recovered from the state he had been in when I had last seen him. He responded to simple questions and would eat and drink if it was placed in front of him; but little else. Whispers of attempts at suicide came out in a flurry about a week after the events at Mantle, and after that Menek was sequestered inside the Rashin's estate, only occasionally making public appearances. When he did so, he was pushed around in a wheelchair, his eyes vacantly staring off into space; as though searching for something… or someone, far off in the distance.

However, even without that particular deed under my belt, it had still been Laisren ships and pilots that had arrived in Mantle's hour of need. All of those factors, in addition to my generosity in Mantle's reconstruction meant that it's likely that I could have easily expected victory had I thrown my hat in the ring.

The answer to why I didn't run however, is simple; Cola asked me not to.

* * *

"If I had known how much of a spender General Ironwood was, I would have put him in charge years ago." I remarked as I leaned back in my chair.

Sunil grunted in agreement as he looked over the documents on the desk. He and I were in the boardroom looking over specifications for a brand new airship fleet that the General had commissioned and quite frankly, they were extensive.

The effectiveness of the military of Mantle had come into question over since the attack on Mantle. The previous doctrine had been to have huge, heavy ships that would blow anything out of the sky before it came into range: dreadnoughts. These ships were incredibly armored, and would have a few, powerful guns that would rip anything they touched into shreds. It was a relic of the Great War, where air superiority meant blowing the other fleet out of the sky before it could even touch you. The fleet would then move into position and blast anything on the ground that so much as even looked at it funny.

Against the the Grimm however, such tactics had proven… wanting. The guns, while extremely powerful, were also slow firing and their projectiles slow moving; easy to dodge and avoid by the relatively nimble Grimm. During the Battle of Mantle, the Grimm had simply accepted their losses and then overwhelmed the ships, slaughtering their crews and ripping the airships themselves to shreds.

Ironwood therefore, had a very different strategy in mind. He wanted a new kind of ship, a carrier of sorts that would carry hundreds of Bullheads that could be deployed to act as firing lines that would obliterate the Grimm; much as was the strategy on land. He however also wanted these carriers to carry over some of the same characteristics of their dreadnought predecessors, namely he wanted a couple of big, heavy guns that could could effectively annihilate heavy ground and air targets. Essentially, the Bullheads would take care of the small fry, while the carriers would handle the larger threats.

It was a simple and effective strategy, the hallmarks of a good strategy… however there were going to be issues…

"Just where is he going to get the manpower for this many pilots?" I murmured, "Does he even plan on fielding ground forces anymore?"

"That's what I asked him about." Sunil replied, "But he just glared at me, told me that was none of our concern, and that it was 'classified'."

I shrugged, "Very well then, let's-"

At that moment my scroll beeped and Neo's voice came over the line, "Baron Laisren; Cola Malaika from the AEC is here to see you."

I lifted an eyebrow, "Very well, let him in." I looked up at Sunil, "You can get started on a preliminary design, but don't get too far; I don't want you to have all the fun."

Sunil smiled a little at that and grabbed the documents, but fumbled and dropped one of the pads to the ground. My heart skipped a beat as he bent over quickly and snatched it up from beneath the table where it had fallen. He quickly turned it to me to show me that it was undamaged.

"Sorry about that," He murmured.

I sighed in relief and waved it off, "It's fine, but scratch the preliminary designs and go get some rest; after the week we've had, you've more than earned it."

He bowed and then walked towards the doors; they opened in front of him to reveal the giant ebony form of Cola wearing a white suit. He lifted an eyebrow at the Faunus man, but stepped smartly aside to let him pass. Sunil bowed slightly and then walked through, Cola then stepped into the boardroom, closing the door behind him.

"Baron Laisren." He smiled and then nodded at the wall, "Is now a good time to talk."

I grinned as I stood up, "You don't have to worry about bugs, Neo checks it a couple of times every day, and the walls are soundproof."

His smile widened, "Ah excellent, some of my paranoia has rubbed off on you."

"At least a little bit." I confirmed, "I'm guessing you didn't drop by for pleasantries?"

His smile disappeared, "I'm afraid not." He said solemnly, "I'm here to ask you to do something that might be a little difficult."

"What else is new," I joked, "How big is the Grimm this time?"

He didn't reply as he walked past me to the empty spot on the wall behind me, "There used to be a portrait of your mother here." He murmured.

I tried to hide the sudden knife that felt like it had speared my gut, "Yes, I gave it to Sunil, for services rendered."

"I see." He considered that for a moment, and then turned back to me, a small smile on his face, "That rather ruins the scene I had pictured in my head, but no matter." He seemed to compose himself for a moment and then looked up at me.

"I suppose I should start with the more… controversial bit first." He said, "The High Nobility Electorship is finished, I will never be returning power to them."

I blinked, what he had just said was practically treason. While he had made power plays, what he was telling me now meant that he was effectively confirmed the suspicion of every one of the AEC's opposition. That their take power was a coupe… not a temporary solution as it was meant to be.

"Well that is quite… controversial." I admitted.

"It is the culmination of a plan that your mother and I began long ago." He told me, "She had always been sickened by the High Nobility, by the fact that it had essentially used a loophole in the treaty following the Great War so that it never had to hand power over to the people of Solitas."

I sat back down in my chair, leaning back as I considered what he had told me, "So the moves against the High Nobility, the reduction of their power… that was you?"

He smiled, "I know you had been digging." He told me, "But I wanted your own hands to be completely clean, so I hid it from you." He scratched his chin, "It was supposed to come to fruition about ten years from now." He told me, "However, the Grimm attack on Mantle… accelerated the schedule. The High Nobility will never be more vulnerable."

That much was true, I thought, the High Nobility was practically on its knees, the Houses all squabbling amongst themselves on who should lead them and which Houses should even be on the Electorship. Only Fedha Cognita and Sange Rouge had taken their places on the Electorship, the rest were still in turmoil.

"So you intend to have the AEC become the Mantle Council?" I asked him.

He laughed, "No, I plan on it becoming the _Atlesian_ Council."

My eyes narrowed, "You're planning on moving the capital."

He nodded, "Quite; after all, people who can afford it are already fleeing from it in droves; they just don't feel safe there anymore."

"Can't blame them I suppose," I drummed my fingers on the table, "So why are you telling me this?"

"I am planning to expand the membership on the AEC by two positions." He replied, "Both will be democratically elected, what I have come here to ask is that you do not run for them."

I froze, "Why?" I asked him

"Because I, along with Belmorzh and Sienna, are going to force through a law that the original five members of the AEC cannot be on the Council after our six year term." He explained. "In exchange, we all will receive full pardons, along with everyone in our organizations and Kuroi's."

The knot that had been in my stomach unraveled slowly, there had been an irrational part of my mind that had screamed at me that Cola thought that I was incapable… maybe even unworthy of such a position. What he proposed however, made sense. It would essentially be a blank slate, and it would assure the populace that it all hadn't been a power grab, which wasn't technically true; but close enough that it didn't really matter.

Then a thought struck me, "That means that afterwards…"

Cola stepped forward and put his hand on my shoulder, "That means that afterwards I want you to run. I cannot live forever, and when that time comes for me to step down… it would bring me peace to know that you were there to take my place."

My heart filled to nearly bursting, and I looked up at him. It was like my entire emotional state had just done a complete 180 degree turn from despair to joy and pride. With a jolt, a realization came over me: Belmorzh and Bianca had worked for years to have Camille be their legitimate legacy.

What Cola was effectively telling me, was that I was to be _his_ legacy. A whirlwind of emotion so great that it left me feeling light-headed stormed through me.

It felt like an eternity, but I finally managed to control myself enough to smile and clasp his arm, "I can agree to that." I replied.

* * *

A couple of days later, the elections were announced, and soon, Ironwood and Midas were on the AEC. However, as I wasn't directly involved, I had time for other things. More specifically I was hosting an event. A charity auction, with the proceeds going towards the refugees from Mantle.

I had gone all out for it, the finest chefs from all over Remnant would cook for it, the greatest vinters had sent their wares, I had even hired a famous operatic singer as the star attraction. Their fees alone cost me well over several million lien; it was the classic hypocrisy, I would spend untold wealth to host an event that ostensibly was supposed to raise money for a worthy cause. However, it was a necessary hypocrisy, the feeling was prevalent amongst the upper crust that they had failed in their duty to Solitas; to protect it and help it prosper.

They had, quite horribly in fact.

The fact of the matter was that the ability to truly uphold that duty was there, it had just grown complacent. They needed to be shown the way; and if someone could do that, they would probably be looked to lead them into a bright new future.

Enter Baron Laisren.

It was supposed to my crowning moment, a way to take the forefront so that when I did run for the Council position down the line, I would be a shoo-in just as much or even more so than Ironwood had. I had planned for every situation, for every luxury that lien could buy, it was meant to be a dream come true…

Yet, isn't that how it works… that every great dream can just as easily turn into the most horrific nightmare?


	46. Chapter 46

**Thanks to** **TehGramerPolise for his help** **with this chapter.**

* * *

"No!" Roman screamed, bolting upright, his eyes wild as he swept the room. His entire body shook as he ran a hand through his hair; his body was drenched in a cold sweat as he slowly dragged his mind back to reality.

It was the dream… the same damn nightmare that he thought he had been done with years ago.

His breathing slowed as he tried to steady his shaking palms as it came back to him.

It started with him running down a long hallway, Neo was in danger, but if he could just go faster, he could make it, he could save her.

In the dream however, he couldn't go any faster, and his limbs always felt like he was swimming in molasses. Then just as he reached the end, the door slammed shut and Menek's words whispered to him, "A hell where I will always be alone."

The door would disappear then, and Neo's face would always be there: devoid of life, and then the laughter... that damned laughter would echo mockingly in his ears.

Then he would wake up.

He glared at the panel behind which he hid the journal. It was that damned book's fault; he hadn't meant to go this far, not consciously at least. He was delving back into memories that he had shut away, memories that felt like his heart was tearing asunder all over again. Yet he couldn't stop; something always made him pick up the book and continue writing.

He scowled as he unlatched the panel and grabbed the journal, considering it. Why was he even still writing? Some kind of catharsis? He had thought he was past that point… was he trying to explain himself? Justify why he was bringing death and destruction to thousands? Who was he even justifying himself to?

After all… it was a little late for a guilty conscience. For Mantle, for Beacon…

For Neo.

He flipped open the book and scratched away…

* * *

"Damn it, damn it, damn it!" I growled as I searched through my wardrobe wrenching aside several outfits. I snatched one and held it up in front of the mirror. I let out a noise of disgust before throwing it into the rapidly growing pile behind me, then I continued my frantic search.

There was a polite knock on the door, "Baron Laisren," Lusban called, his voice in the one that he used for his elderly Dudley persona, "Mistress Neopolitan wished to inform you that the guests shall arrive soon and desires to know when you shall be ready?"

"In a minute!" I yelled back.

"Very well…" There was a slight pause, "It is just that she is most… insistent."

"In. A. Minute!" I repeated emphatically as I tossed aside a red and green ensemble.

"Yes, Baron Laisren." I faintly heard his footsteps fade away as I rummaged around, yanking out a purple dress shirt and gray pants.

I had just begun to button up the shirt when the door burst open; Neo entered the room, closing the door behind her.

"Rowan, there are at least twenty people down there and-" She cut off and her face suddenly filled with concern, "Rowan?"

"I… I…" I sat back down on the pile of clothes and held my head in my hands, "I don't know what to wear." I mumbled.

Neo blinked a couple of times, "You… you what?"

"I don't know what to wear." I moaned, "Everything that's in fashion right now just looks… wrong on me. I even went back to some older styles but none of those worked either." I glared at the green dress shirt and purple slacks I had worn to the Spring Mantle Ball, "And _other things_ don't fit anymore." I spat.

Neo lifted an eyebrow, "Damn, did you grow again? You were already six foot."

"Yes, I did apparently." I snapped, "And now I'm stuck with either something awful or something too small."

Neo made a small snorting sound and I looked up to see she was trying very hard not to laugh.

"I'm glad to see someone is enjoying this." I muttered.

She shook her head, "Here, let me help you." She walked up to the wardrobe and swiftly riffled through it, "Seriously, Rowan, you might be a genius, but you're such an idiot when it comes to stuff like this." She grabbed a couple things out of the wardrobe and then turned to me. "Here, try these on."

I lifted an eyebrow, the outfit she presented was a white coat with a black undershirt and pants, complete with a gray scarf. "That looks rather… plain." I remarked.

She snorted, "Yeah, but as much as you hate to admit it, simple things look good on you." She waved a hand at all of the colorful raiments scattered around the room, "All of this stuff… it looked good but that wasn't because it was on you; it all looks wrong now because I think you've finally realized that."

She walked back to the door and opened it, "Go ahead and try it on, I'll be waiting." She shut it softly, leaving me alone once more.

I frowned, torn as I looked from Neo's suggestion and back to the wardrobe. Then I sighed, "Fine then." I growled and I put them on.

About a minute later I walked out the door, wearing the clothes Neo had suggested. She smiled slightly and looked me up and down, "See? Snazzy right?"

I lifted an eyebrow, "'Snazzy'? Somone's been hanging around Kuroi too much."

She stuck out her tongue, "Seriously, it looks good on you."

She was right, just as I realized she had been right about all of the other clothes as well. They had been fashionable, they had been colorful and beautiful to behold; but they hadn't been me. I had been a boy playing dress-up, but now…

"Thanks." I said quietly.

Neo jabbed me lightly on the shoulder, "Anytime." Then she frowned and leaned in, "Damn it, really? You misbuttoned the shirt."

I looked down and let out a frustrated sigh as I saw that I had indeed missed a button on the back undershirt, makin the outfit underneath look scrunched. I began to reach down when Neo stepped forward. "Just stand still, I'll get it."

I did as she said, moving my hands out of the way so she reach under the coat. It was as she stepped forward, deftly unbuttoning the shirt to redo it that I caught a whiff of something. I blinked, it was perfume, it was a soft, but strangely heady smell and I looked down at Neo.

She was concentrating on her task, but I could see her face blushing slightly as her hands lingered slightly longer than they strictly needed to over my chest and she fumbled slightly as she finished up.

"There we go," She murmured, "All done."

"Neo." I said, my voice sounding distant to my own ears.

She looked up at me with her mismatched eyes.

"I uh…" I swallowed nervously, "I just wanted you to know that I-"

"There you two are!" A familiar voice called.

I looked up to see Camille Zheleznaya walking down the hallway, a wide smile on her face, "I thought we were saving the dancing for later." She said, her eyes wandering mischievously over the two of us.

"We wanted to save you the embarrassment of not having a partner." Neo shot back as she turned around.

Camille laughed at that, "Would that you had." She replied, "I have had the distinct misfortune of having a certain Bailus Drummond foisted upon me."

I blinked a little at that, "Really?" I asked her.

She waved a hand dismissively, "Yes, although now I suppose it's _Captain_ Bailus Drummond now."

"I had heard about that." Neo interjected, "Something about 'exemplary valor in the line of duty'."

Camille nodded, "That's correct, though Maidens know I wish he would show half that courage and at least take my arm. The man's apparently horrendously shy." She shrugged, "However, my father insisted that it would be a good political connection for me to make, so here I am: faced with the prospect of dancing with a sweaty block of wood."

"A tragedy to be sure." I replied dryly, "In any case, we shall be down shortly."

Camille bowed and then walked back down the stairs.

"I'm sorry Rowan; what was it you wanted to tell me?" Neo asked.

Damn me… damn me but I couldn't muster the courage the words that I had meant to say drying up on my tongue. Finally I simply cleared my throat, "You look beautiful tonight." I told her.

She smiled at that, "And you look… Baronly." She patted me on the back, "Now c'mon tiger… let's knock'em out of the park."

* * *

Just as before, I had used the Laisren estate's grounds to host the party. This time, I had divided it into two areas, one was comprised of a dance floor and a variety of tables that held delicacies of every kind. The other had been converted into an auctioneer stand with stadium-style seating in a half circle around it.

As Neo had said, a small crowd of guests had already gathered and more were arriving by the minute. I made my entrance and immediately set about with the usual meet and greet. One of the first people I ended up running into that was of note ended up being Rudas Fitzroy.

The young man bowed to me as I approached, "Baron Laisren." He greeted me.

"Baron Fitzroy." I replied as I nodded to him. He had been rather busy since we had last seen each other; he finally accumulated enough capital and political clout to secure several small banks. He had since consolidated them into a central firm; perhaps you've even heard of it: Fitzroy Credit Union, or FCU for short. I can guess that about half of you just looked at your banking cards and are seeing those golden letters a bit differently now.

"I'm glad you could make it." I told him.

He grimaced, "It is certainly nice taking a break from halting the collapse of over half of Solitas' economy."

The scary thing is that he might have been underestimating that number. You'll never see it in the history books, but it took a collection of brilliant people in order to make sure that Solitas didn't collapse into economic turmoil after the Three Days of Darkness. Of course, I'm not going to pretend that their work was out of any kind of altruistic motives- but it still stands that they accomplished something truly monumental.

I chuckled at that as I walked alongside him to one of the tables piled high with food.

We both took a moment to fill our plates, and then continued walking.

"So, I couldn't help but notice that your name was remarkably absent from the ballots for the new AEC positions." He remarked.

I waved a hand dismissively, "It is a temporary council after all; it wouldn't make sense to spend too much political capital on it."

Rudas quirked an eyebrow at that, "So your decision isn't based on any… certain knowledge?" He asked me.

I glanced at him, his gaze was decidedly uninterested, as though he were simply indulging a mild curiosity.

I smiled slightly, "Not in particular." I answered lightly.

He snorted, "Very well." Then he stopped and shook his head sadly, "Poor Bailus."

I followed his gaze to see Bailus Drummond standing stiff as a board a step behind Camille, who was talking loudly with several minor businessmen and women.

"He does look rather… tense." I noted.

"The poor man's in love." He replied, "I pulled a couple of strings to make sure that her father looked his way when she was considering partners for this occasion."

I lifted an eyebrow, "Really?"

"Ever since he laid eyes on her." He replied.

"Hmmm…" I picked a finely roasted piece of crab and popped it into my mouth.

"So what about you and Mistress Gialatta." He suddenly asked.

I nearly choked on the crab, coughing and spluttering as I hammered at my chest.

He grinned, "Knew it."

I whirled to face him, "What in the world are you talking about?" I demanded.

He lifted up his hands, "Nothing, never mind." He said, but his damned grin was still one his face, "I'm afraid I must go to Bailus' aid, if you'll excuse me."

He bowed and then walked towards where Camille was eliciting almost indecently loud laughter from her small crowd as Bailus stood uncomfortably watching, leaving me standing to stare after him.

"Are you quite alright Baron Laisren?" A familiar voice rumbled, "You look like you've seen a ghost."

I smiled as I turned, "Councilman Malaika." I replied.

Cola stood there in a blue sports coat, Bayard standing a couple of steps behind him, he smiled and bowed his head, "I'm afraid that I can't stay long." He told me, "Personal business, but I fully understood that political implications if I hadn't come at all."

I nodded. I had invited the Atlesian Emergency Council as a matter of course and all had accepted the invitation, including Sienna Khan. It was a symbol of sorts of the pull that I possessed.

"Much appreciated," I gazed pointedly at his plate. "I see that you've stayed long enough to raid the desert section."

It was almost comical, the large man had piled at least two slices of chocolate cake, along with several cream puffs, and candied fruits.

"I simply made a tactical decision," He sniffed, "In addition, Bayard is a horrific mooch."

The older man's eyes twinkled mischievously, "Guilty."

I chuckled at that, "Well then, I'll leave you to it." We bowed slightly to each other and then I wove my way back into the crowd. I had just started back to the meet and greet when I froze.

In a wheelchair, being pushed around by a large Faunus woman with bear ears was Menek Rashin. His eyes were vacant, and he was slumped forward, a plate full of seared salmon in his lap that had been nibbled at slightly.

I felt a pit form in my stomach as I stared. I had invited a Rashin representative as a courtesy; apparently, they had felt it apt to send me a reminder of how the last Rashin who had been my allies ended up. It was an effective ploy, a political and emotional slap in the face. One that if I even began to protest would end up leaving me looking churlish and rather tactless.

Someone put their arm around my shoulder and I nearly jumped, "You look like someone stuffed a stick up your derriere." Kuroi remarked.

The Faunus man was wearing black kimono with snarling wolf head designs embroidered with red silk. The elegance stood in stark contrast to the ratty suspender belt that he had wrapped around his head to cover his missing eye.

"I'm surprised you've kept that look." I said, nodding to the suspender belt.

He grinned, "It's like an inside joke that I get to wear. Everyone looks and sees it and goes, 'just what is the story behind that? Was it a dear comrade's? A sworn enemy's?'" He tittered, "But it was just some henchman schmuck… like so much of life, it's much more interesting to guess."

"Much like you're leaving me guessing with just what you plan with Sienna." I replied, "You are… aware of Cola's plan. Yet are willing to go along?"

I was referring to the fact that if everything went according to Cola's design, those currently serving on the AEC wouldn't be allowed to hold a position on the Atlesian Council when it formed. Meaning that his carefully groomed prodigy would not be allowed on the highest seat in Solitas.

He shrugged, "Who needs a fancy chair when you can sit amongst friends." He replied, "I'm sure you're aware of the fact that most of those that could afford it are leaving Mantle?" I frowned and nodded. "Well consider the fact that of those who can't afford it… just how many are Faunus?"

I blinked, "I see…" I said slowly. Through simple economics, humans were leaving the old capital of Mantle. Faunus would be the majority; they would be sitting on top of the ruins of one of the great cities of the world… just waiting to be rebuilt. And to construct that Faunus utopia, Kuroi would install someone who had already held a vital political position.

I looked through the crowd to see Sienna Khan wearing an elegant silken dress, the massive forms of Ichi and Ni standing by her side as she spoke with a collection of finely dressed Faunus.

"Do you think she's ready?" I asked him.

Kuroi grinned, "Oh I think she's ready to swing. I think it's the rest of Remnant that's going to have two left feet when the band strikes the tune. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a hankering to jive." He swaggered off into the crowd, leaving me with my thoughts.

* * *

It was about two hours into the party when Neo called me on our private line, "Rowan, we have a problem."

"Oh?" I asked as I excused myself from a pleasant conversation with Kollane and Rosa Gage (still happily married from last I heard. I hope so since I sent them a very nice anniversary gift under an alias this last summer.)

"Flaxen Romerov has just called in to say that she can't make it."

I frowned, Flaxen Romerov was the famous operatic singer that I had hired to act as a keynote attraction before the auction began. To lose such a prestigious piece would be a terrible blow…

Had I not essentially expected it.

"Alright then, plan B, did she say who bribed her not to come?"

"Jacques Schnee; she sent the recordings as proof like requested."

I lifted an eyebrow, the man really held a grudge, "Very well, have Lusban pay her double the bribe as promised and then send the recordings of the conversation to a secure databank. You go warm up your singing voice."

"I still don't know how you talked me into this." She grumbled.

"I am rather persuasive." I replied, she chuckled at that, and then hung up.

A few moments later, the estate's announcement system came on, "Will all guests please report to their seats."

There was a hubbub as everyone began grabbing their final delicacies and drinks and started streaming towards the stadium seating that had been prepared. I myself had just turned to go when I was confronted by a familiar face.

"Baron Laisren." He greeted me as he gave me a courtly bow. The man looked wretched. He was wearing a suit that looked like it had seen better days with several small holes in the sleeves and his silken pants, while colorful, were obviously several years old. His hair was unkempt and wild, as though he had just woken up, and his eyes were red and bloodshot.

"Lord Elector Rouge." I looked him up and down, "You look… unwell."

He gave a bitter laugh, "That is a… way of putting it." He looked me in the eyes, "I have come under the most dire of… financial circumstances." He informed me, "My family's holdings were one of those most gravely hit. In the aftermath we went through our vaults, only to find a number of our most precious holdings had been robbed."

My heart fluttered a little; of course they had, Neo and I had been rather thorough. The fact that the Rouges had only just now noticed their loss showed just how little they deserved it.

"I have therefore come to ask if you would give us assistance, in this our most desperate hour." He pleaded.

My mind rapidly leafed through my options. If I didn't help him, I was potentially making a rather dangerous enemy, at least physically if not politically. After all, if the Rouges were truly in such a desperate state of affairs, their Electorship would not remain in their grasp very long. Even if Cola wasn't already planning on doing away with the whole institution, the Rouges would be finished politically.

However… the financial cost likely wouldn't be too severe… I decided quickly that I would render him the assistance he needed. However, I would have Lusban pay him off and then leave, of course telling him that it was for his own reputation, so that none could see him in his current state. It would be easy enough to appear magnanimous when I was handing him the money needed to keep his family in a decent state of affairs. In addition, I didn't want it to parade in public that I was helping them; the Rouges still had a controversial reputation, particularly their new Lord Elector.

I was about to open my mouth to say the words when my mind flashed back to that night, how in _my_ house, at _my_ party he had had the gall… the _arrogance_ to so deliberately hurt Neo by breaking her hand in an absolutely needless gesture.

My mind abruptly took a different track, the thoughts practically popping into my head as if by their own volition, yes, it would be risky to openly court Sange Rouge as an ally… but what if I made it clear that it was not an equal relationship?

At the center of the seating for the auction, I had installed a simple box seat for myself, a place where most everyone could see me; raised above everyone else. It was symbolic and psychological, and it was ideally positioned for a little bit of simple theater. Everyone would be there, watching as Baron Laisren sat next to a threadbare looking Lord Elector Sange Rouge. I could then carefully leak the truly dire state of their affairs, and how suddenly an inflow of lien had risen them back to their feet.

Everyone would look back and remember, and they would see the invisible leash that I had latched around his neck before their very eyes.

As a political move it was a brutally effective, ruthless tactic.

As an act of revenge… I couldn't serve it any more cold.

So I gave Sange Rouge a small smile, and put my hand upon his shoulder, "Come, never let it be said that Rowan Laisren forgets a friend." I told him as I led him towards the steps to my box seat, "Let us talk."

* * *

The assembled guests had already been waiting for a couple minutes by the time Sange and I arrived. I gestured for him to take the seat next to mine, he glanced around at the crowd as he did so. I stepped forward in my box and pressed the button on the PA system, "My lords and ladies." I greeted them, "Thank you so much for attending this 'Rebuild Mantle' charity auction." I allowed the light applause to ripple across the crowd. "I apologize, but as you may have been aware, Flaxxen Romerov was unable to join us this evening."

There was a very small murmur from the crowd; of course next to none of them would have been aware of that. However, none would be willing to admit their actual surprise by causing an uproar. It's a little lesson in taking falls, make them gracefully, and no one will be any the wiser.

"However," I boomed, "I have made alternate arrangements, Mistress Gialatta has very graciously volunteered her own talents." There was a small buzz at that, but I gave it no time to grow, "Please enjoy a small excerpt from Pumice's 5th." I released the button and sat down in my seat, my expression deliberately pleasant, leaving nothing for my guests to draw from.

The curtains on the stage lifted and Neo stood there, elegant and composed. She stepped forward, bowed and then sprang into song.

The move I had just made was one that was full of risks. One couldn't simply wave a famous operatic singer in front of a gathering of Solitas' finest and then simply yank it away without a replacement. The replacement I had chosen, however, was possibly the most arrogant one I could have chosen. My own yojimbo? If she wasn't up to snuff, there would be whispers for months, that Baron Laisren had become miserly, that he had been embarrassed at his own auction.

For those learned enough, Pumice's 5th was also a considered selection. The piece itself was about a squire whose master had taken viciously ill, and thus, in order to preserve the knight's reputation, the squire took his place. The squire ended up winning the entire tournament, and then devoting his victory to the love of the knight's life. Of course it all ended in tragedy, the squire fell madly in love with her and the knight found out. The knight and squire ended up slaying each other while the lady herself was changed into a weeping willow by the Emperor of Mistral so that she could watch over their bodies for eternity.

It also was a viciously difficult piece, with many low valleys and high peaks; a truly heroic vocal range was required. There were probably only a handful of singers in all of Solitas that could pull it off.

Neo didn't just pull it off. She performed it beautifully and dare I say… to perfection.

The crowd was silent, spellbound as her voice weaved the song like a gleaming tapestry for all that heard to behold.

After what seemed like an eternity, the final note soared into the night sky. The crowd shot to its feet in a standing ovation.

I grinned happily as I applauded, utilizing every inch of my self-restraint to not jump to my feet.

"Beautiful."

I turned to Sange Rouge, whose eyes were bright and intense as he stared intently at Neo. "She is so bright; she is like a flame." He whispered.

Something about his face made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, there was something… hungry in it, almost predatory.

Just as quickly as it was there however, it was gone and he looked up at me with a polite smile, "It appears that your yojimbo is just as skilled with her voice as she is with a blade. A most excellent performance."

I nodded to him as the curtains closed, they would open a few moments later to begin the auction itself.

"So then, Lord Elector Rouge, to business. I won't have you submit yourself to anything so crass as to asking for an amount."

"I… appreciate that." He replied mildly.

"Instead I will offer a couple of the Dust and metal mines that my company possesses; as well as a couple million lien. We'll establish a shell company for the transfer." I carefully watched his eyes and saw the tell-tale glimpse of relief and desperate hope, "Would that be acceptable?" I asked him.

Sange looked away quickly, blinking rapidly, by the Maidens, the man really was broken, "That would be, thank you… Baron Laisren."

The curtain opened to reveal a tall, reedy man in a long coat, a large podium to his side, along with a large stand.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls; the good Baron Laisren has gathered some of the greatest treasures of Remnant, all of which is willing to part with for a reasonable price. All of this to rebuild our once great Capital to its former glory. Let's begin!" He waved his hand and two burly men carried out a pristine green vase.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, the item we now have before you comes directly from the Great Treasures of the Ninth Empress of Mistral." The man lowered his voice dramatically, "The Verdant Vessel. A vase that was carved from a single piece of jade, look carefully… for even after three hundred years, there still stands not a single blemish upon its surface. We shall be starting the bidding at five-hundred thousand lien…"

"Three hundred years…." Sange slowly shook his head, "My house has stood for over a thousand, and yet here I am."

The sudden shift in mood caught me off guard, "You'll rebuild." I told him.

Sange let out a long, slow sigh, "I hope so… but my we've lost everything. We stand for nothing, fight for nothing but to slow our descent into obscurity." He closed his eyes, "Once we were the finest warriors in all the land; the _oriflamme_ at our head, all knew to fear us, to flee before us." He bowed his head, his eyes still closed, "Do you know the story of the _oriflamme_?" He asked me.

"I'm afraid I do not." I replied.

"Not many do. It is a banner." He told me, "A red banner with fire Dust woven into its threads, golden symbols of our house embroidered out of a Dust whose like has never been found since. It is a Dust that shines forth with light that burns any Grimm it touches. It was gifted to our founder by Lukal the Wolf Knight of the Four Knights."

I did my best to keep a straight face as the vase was sold for a million lien to a short man in a tweed suit. Every damn noble house in existence claims such things, it gives them legitimacy. Although one could argue that the legitimacy doesn't necessarily arise from the story itself, but rather that there was an unspoken understanding that if anyone disputed it that they would meet a very swift and unpleasant end. Therefore, the more outlandish the story, the more power they must possess to have no one question it.

That being said; it's obvious that Sange believed that story and it was ripping him apart.

Being that this was an exercise in revenge, it warmed a dark little place in my heart.

Keeping my face carefully neutral, I watched as a painting of Vacuo's countryside was carted off to the tune of nine hundred thousand lien.

"So what happened to it?" I asked absently as a large, flat object covered with black cloth was carried out onto the stage.

"It was kept in our vaults." He told me.

The black cloth was taken away and I frowned.

It was an orange cloth stretched out onto a wooden board, and for some reason it looked familiar…

* * *

I had been busy shoveling a drawer full of gems into a bag when Neo had danced in front of me, a cloth across her shoulders like a shawl, "You're the history expert, just what is this ratty old thing doing in a Rouge vault?"

I lifted an eyebrow at the orange cloth, hints of golden thread in spots here and there across its face, "I don't know, maybe it was Sange's baby blanket?"

She shrugged and stuffed it in the bag, "Oh well, finder's keepers." She said with a mischievous smile.

* * *

I blinked as the images faded and I shook my head to clear it. My eyes darted over to Sange to see he was watching me closely, a peculiar expression on his face.

"Not many have heard the story of the _oriflamme_." He repeated, "But even fewer have seen it." He reached out his hand towards the stage.

Golden spots of light began to shine forth from the cloth, washing the crowd and the surroundings in a golden hue. There was a moment of silence as the auctioneer stared along with everyone else. The moment froze in time as Sange and I kept our gazes locked on one another. Then the moment passed as he lowered his hand and the lights winked out one by one.

On stage the auctioneer began taking on a renewed round of spirited bidding. Sange abruptly stood up, "I thank you for your offer, Baron Laisren and it is most kind." He turned and walked out of the box, "I will consider it."

He left me alone, sitting stock still as the implications of what had just occurred raced through my head.

Whether or not the story behind the banner was true; it had just reacted to his Aura. He couldn't prove it in a court of law, but he had just confirmed that I had been involved in the theft upon the Rouge vaults.

I turned my gaze out onto the stage where the men on stage had already moved onto the next item, a painting of a white stone tower overlooking the sea. My eyes fell upon them, trying to gleam if any of them looked nervous or guilty in any way. They continued to go about their work, seemingly unaware of the political disaster they had just participated in. Either they hadn't been part of the scheme, or they were smart enough to not let any such emotions show.

Regardless, I made a mental note to have Lusban very _thoroughly_ inquire the gentlemen I had hired to run the auction just how that particular piece had gotten into the line-up. After all, I would have to hunt down whoever Sange or his allies had paid or threatened to sneak that threadbare piece of crap into the auction and make an example out of them. For now however, I had just lost out on my gambit; I had now effectively just made the head of House Rouge, still a Lord Elector for the time being, into a mortal enemy.

I took a deep calming breath as I began to massage my temples, feeling very much like the ground had just fallen out from beneath my feet. The gambit had failed, that's sometimes what happened with gambits, the far more pressing question was what to do about it.

I would have to begin taking steps to minimize the fall-out… first I would call Fedha Cognita, after all, Neo and I had helped protect her during the Three Days of Darkness. I didn't know when Cola would move forward with ripping power away from the High Nobility for good, but in the interim I would have to carefully monitor who stepped forward to fill the empty Electorship positions.

All of these raced through my mind as I grabbed the private communicator at my collar, "Hey Neo, jig is up with Sange Rouge; keep your eye on him. Get Lusban to-"

A hard, cold laugh emitted from the receiver and a pit formed in my core.

"I have considered your offer, Baron Laisren." Sange Rouge told me flatly, "But I'm afraid that I needed something… more…" He laughed once more and then the line went dead.


	47. Chapter 47

**Thanks to TehGramerPolise for helping with this chapter.**

* * *

Something felt like it was compressing my chest, squeezing me into nothingness, and for a wild moment I tried to deny the facts that were directly in front of me. Could Sange have hacked into the line? Laughable. Could he have somehow stolen the communicator from Neo? Why? What would be the point?

The cold, hard truth stared me right in the face, as unforgiving as a wall of stone.

Sange had the communicator.

Sange had _Neo_.

The last vestige of denial weakly stirred and protested, screaming that there was no way Sange could have subdued her in the amount of time he had between leaving the box and me calling the communicator.

But that was it, wasn't it? He obviously had help; this had all been planned. My body moved of its own volition, getting out of my chair and walking towards the steps leading out of the box. I had been an idiot; I had been only thinking along the lines of a political battle. I had never even imagined that Sange would simply elect to go for a far more simple and direct form of retribution.

I pulled out my scroll and typed in the first of several numbers that were running through my mind.

Lusban answered first, "Yes, Baron Laisren-" He frowned, "Are you alright sir, you look pale."

"Sange had abducted Neo." I told him, "You are to keep things together here, take a couple of men with you and make sure you detain the men running the auction. I'll have questions for them later."

His eyes went wide, but he nodded, "Yes si-"

I hung up, cutting him off. I was keying in the next code by the time I had reached the bottom of the stairs leading from the box. The scroll rang once, twice, and then was answered by Sienna Khan.

"Councilwoman Khan." I said, trying my best to remain calm, "Would you mind passing the scroll to Kuroi, I wished to speak with him regarding an urgent matter."

Her eyes narrowed, "He is presently incapacitated." She replied.

My heart began to pound and I could feel a drop of sweat snaking its way down my neck, "Ah, I see. In what manner? Unless it is life-threatening I'm afraid I must insist."

"If you must know," She snarled, "It appears as though one of you damn humans poisoned him." Then she hung up.

My mind whirled, Kuroi poisoned? How? When?

I didn't ask 'why' or 'who'. That much was crystal clear. It was common knowledge that Kuroi was an ally of mine. Therefore, Sange or his allies had decided to make sure that neither he nor his warriors would be available to me. After all, that was why they had deliberately not poisoned Sienna. Not only was it likely the Faunus woman really did suspect that I had been behind the poisoning along with any other human, but Kuroi's standing orders likely were to protect her at all costs. I would receive no help from that quarter.

It was as I was frantically typing in another code that I ran into someone, making me stumble. I looked up to see a cowled figure, "Baron Laisren." Fedha Cognita bowed her head slightly, "My apologies, I wished to discuss something with you."

"Lady Elector Cognita… my apologies I…" I briefly considered about informing of her of what had occurred with Sange but discarded it. The Cognitas were not known for their combat prowess. She would have been of use for a political maneuver, but in a situation like this, the time needed to inform her of the situation and to acquire her assistance would be better used in other ways.

"I'm afraid that we will have to speak at some other time." I told her, bowing slightly.

"Very well." She copied the gesture and for the first time I noticed the second cowled figure standing behind her. Another one of her House, I guessed, but there was a strange sense of something… familiar about them.

I shook my head; I had probably seen them earlier at the party, or maybe one of a hundred different events. It didn't matter I nodded to them once more and then began running towards the mansion's garage, desperately typing in the last code.

The scroll rang and then was picked up, "Yes?" Cola's voice came over the line.

"This is Rowan, Sange Rouge took Neo."

There was the sounds of heavy footsteps and I could faintly hear someone whimpering in the background; then there was the sound of a door being slammed shut.

"Rowan listen to me." He said urgently, "Get Kuroi, you're going to need some heavy muscle to take him down."

"Kuroi's been poisoned." I told him, "I'm going after him, use this to track me." I quickly copied the algorithm for tracking my communicator and sent it to him.

I heard Cola's scroll beep as it received it, but his ice-blue eyes stayed locked on me, "Rowan," He insisted, "Don't do this, you're capable, but he's a monster, he'll rip you apart."

I opened the door to the garage and ran towards the Bullhead that was parked there, I pounded up the ramp and sat down into the pilot's cockpit and began warming up the engines.

"I don't care, he has Neo. I'm going." I told him.

"Wait for us then, they'll have jamming signals up for when you get close, don't-"

I hung up as I opened the bay doors and gunned the thrusters.

* * *

Of course Cola was right: the fact of the matter was this was an obvious trap. The fact that I could still track Neo's communicator, following it as it zipped and weaved through the city was proof enough of that. If Sange had simply wanted to kidnap Neo, he would have tossed the communicator and anything else that might have a tracker on it. Everything else had been planned too well for him to make such a simple blunder. He wasn't satisfied with just Neo, he wanted both of us to suffer for what we had done to him.

No doubt with Neo's communicator on hand, Sange would be tracking me, and as soon as I got within a certain distance, he would activate jammers, just as Cola had said. I would be alone, any backup that was coming wouldn't be able to find me.

None of that mattered.

I gunned the Bullhead's thrusters, nearly colliding with a shipping transport. I swerved around it. It was perhaps five more minutes until there was a long beep, and an error message came up on my scroll. Just to be sure, I attempted to re-connect to the signal, as well as tried to activate the radio transmitter on the Bullhead…

Nothing but white noise. That confirmed my suspicions, I was close enough that Sange wanted to ensure I would be alone.

I cut the thrusters, allowing the Bullhead to hover as I looked down below; even now the rational part was screaming at me, telling me fly outside the jamming area, and then drop my own communicator for Cola to track.

If I did that however, Sange would know as soon as I did. It was more likely than not that he would either simply move Neo and himself. Or he would leave behind the tracker and disappear. Neo's life hung in the balance, and in order to have the best chance of saving her, I would have to play Sange's game as he intended.

I saw a transport, too sleek and new for the part of the city we were in, parked conspicuously next to a large warehouse with walls made out of sheet metal; more than that, there was something familiar hanging above the double door entrance. I landed the Bullhead and my heart leapt into my throat as I confirmed my suspicions.

It was Neo's umbrella, hanging upside down over the entrance, fluttering slightly in the breeze. The doors themselves were ajar; for all the world resembling the maws of some nightmarish creature, waiting to swallow me whole.

Under any circumstances, that thought might have instilled fear; but Neo was in there. In the hands of a man who had already committed a horrific murder for far less than what we had done; the only fear I could feel was leaving her in his hands for even a moment longer. Even if those doors had been the open jaws of a monster, I wouldn't have thought twice.

I shut off the engines and rose to my feet. I walked over to the arms locker and opened it.

A rifle and pistol, both with two clips. Several Dust rounds for Melodic Cudgel. Two flashbangs and an explosive charge.

I let out a long, slow breath, considering just how strong Sange was, it was a rather paltry assortment.

But it was what I had, so it was time to make do.

* * *

I kicked in the door to the warehouse, causing it to slam aside, rattling on its hinges. Swiveling with the rifle to sweep the room, I cautiously stepped forward. The warehouse entrance had been compressed down into a narrow hallway, with a plain looking door at the far end. The lights flickered and sputtered as I walked forward. It was almost eerily quiet, the only sounds being my footsteps echoing off the stone floor and my own even breathing.

I reached the door and took a deep breath before slamming it open.

The room beyond was incredibly spacious, with a tiled floor that had drains set intermittently on its surface. A couple of steel doors lined its walls, and the it was illuminated by a series of fluorescent lights humming overhead.

It also reeked of blood.

I stepped forward, keeping the rifle to my shoulder as I did so.

"Ah… the guest of honor arrives."

I pivoted to see Sange Rouge standing on a catwalk that was overhead, his eyes shining in the shadows.

"I had been wondering when you would-"

I opened fire; the rifle chattering as the rounds raced at the man. He jerked backward as a few of them found their mark, hammering at his Aura shell.

His face twisted into a snarl as the vaulted backwards out of sight, and I held my fire as I scanned the darkness overhead.

"Arrogant," He growled, his voice echoing around the room, "Impertinent. Just like all of your kind… filthy commoners who don't know their place."

My instincts screamed at me to duck and I did so, falling forward into a roll as something passed over my head. I tried to go into a kneeling position, the rifle pointing behind me but something slammed into my chest with the force of a sledgehammer and I flew backwards to slam into the wall.

I let out a wheezing gasp as my meager Aura shell shattered. Sange Rouge stood before me, his face set into a mocking smile; I lifted the rifle and then blinked as I saw that it had been broken in two.

I tossed the useless weapon aside and pulled out Melodic Cudgel with one hand and the pistol with the other. I leveled both of them and fired.

A ball of flame shot out of Melodic Cudgel while the gun barked as I pulled the trigger again and again. Sange Rouge lazily twirled his voulges, knocking aside the fireball and blocking every shot. He began slowly advancing on me, his eyes shining with a savage bloodlust.

I kept firing the pistol until it went empty, then I dropped it and loaded another round into Melodic Cudgel, this time a ball of crackling electricity spat out of the barrel.

Sange merely twisted aside as it raced past him, instantly flowing back to his orginal position as soon as it was past, making it almost appear as though it had passed through him. The same mocking smile grew more pronounced as he did so.

My hand shot towards my pouch to pull out another round when he closed the gap in an instant. His hand snapped out and grabbed my neck in a vise-like grip that made my vision black out for a moment. I gagged as my hands shot to his wrist, struggling uselessly to break his hold.

He regarded me for a moment before shaking his head sadly, "Oh Baron Laisren," He murmured, "So savvy… so clever…" He tossed me as casually as one might a piece of refuse but it still had enough force to send me sliding along the ground. I hacked and coughed as I got to one knee, trying desperately to catch my breath.

"Tell me… are you afraid?" He asked me.

"Just… pissed… off… really." I managed.

Something cruel flashed through his eyes and he began advancing upon me again, "So droll, but I'm afraid I've grown rather bored of this game. You will die, and then I will focus my attentions back on your little Di-hex bitch."

Rage filled my core, making me see red, "That's what… you think… asshole."

"Hmm…" He paused as he twirled his glaves idly in either hand, "Do you think different then?"

I gave him a toothy smile, "I know different." I told him, and that's when I pressed a button on my scroll.

There was a faint, whining sound and then the room erupted in a cacophony as massive rounds sprayed through the wall to hammer straight into Sange. He desperately tried to bring up his voulges to defend himself, but caught off guard as he was, they were batted aside as the Bullhead's guns roared.

The force of the impacts threw him backwards into the wall pinning him in place. Moving fast, I yanked the explosive charge out of my satchel and hurled it at him, even as I lifted Melodic Cudgel and fired.

The web round that I had saved from the fight against the Arachne slammed into Sange, sticking him firmly to the wall. It wouldn't hold long between the Bullhead and the man's own fearsome strength, but then again it didn't need to. The explosive charge landed right at Sange's feet, and before he could react, let out a loud _beep_ and then exploded.

The shockwave hit me like a truck, knocking me head over heels to slam into the tiled ground. I let out a cry of pain as I felt the bones in my left arm snap as I landed on them; the sound was drowned out as the Bullhead continued to fire into the cloud of debris where Sange had been

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the roaring stopped as abruptly as it had started as the Bullhead ran out of ammunition. I rose to my feet shakily, holding my injured arm, everything seemed to fall unnaturally still.

I picked up Melodic Cudgel from where it had fallen on the ground and loaded another round into it. I leveled it at the cloud, watching for any sign of movement.

Nothing.

The cloud cleared and when it did, it revealed the crumpled form of Sange Rouge. His warvoulges on the ground beside him.

"Hah." I spat, "The bigger they are-"

"The harder they fall?" Sange asked nonchalantly.

I felt a cold pit of despair as he stood up, brushing himself off as he did so. He was completely unharmed, not even a single scratch on him.

I snarled as I fired Melodic Cudgel, he casually dodged the resulting fireball and before I could load in another round, he was already on me. His foot lashed out, kicking into my chest.

I screamed in agony as I felt my ribs shatter and break. I staggered backwards and my other arm snapped as Sange slammed a fist into it. My world went sideways as he swept my legs out from under me, throwing me to the ground and I tasted blood as my teeth snapped shut on my tongue.

I laid there, dazed as he walked back to pick up his voulges, he gave them an experimental whirl, "I have to admit, Baron Laisren." He said casually, "I did not expect to have to rely on my Semblance in this fight… well done."

"Damn you." I swore at him.

He looked at me with an appraising gaze, "As acknowledgment of your efforts, I will tell you one of the greatest secrets of House Rouge." He planted his voulges blade first into the ground, "Our Semblance… and its nature. Behold."

A white material grew out from his chest and back, growing more solid as it did so. It quickly formed a loose shell that slowly morphed and molded itself around Sange, becoming a suit of armor of sorts. At first I thought that I was hallucinating from the shock of my wounds; but the horrible reality slowly dawned upon me.

The material looked very much like the bone-plating of the Grimm.

"Marvelous isn't it?" He asked me, "We don't need to visibly manifest it, it passively augments our defenses at all times. We only need reveal it when we feed it." He began walking up to me, "You see, our Semblance is unique in that it can be actively strengthened. It can therefore grow stronger and stronger over time as we give it power."

"Neat." I replied pithily, "So what, you feed it its veggies and it grows big and strong?" As I spoke; I shifted my broken body, desperately trying to discreetly reach the pouch at my waist.

Sange chuckled, "Close, but I'm afraid that it's far more… carnivorous."

Something about how he said that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

"You see." He said calmly, "At first it's quite enough to feed it any random vermin off the street. However, at some point to further power it, the Semblance requires a certain… quality of materials." He knelt down on one knee beside me, "A certain strength of spirit." He reached down to his side and pulled out a knife, "I have fed my Semblance well, only a handful of individuals have the quality I need at this point. Your yojimbo was one such person."

I froze, my ears pounding as "What have you done to her?" I rasped, "You bastard I swear I'll-"

My face burned as he casually backhanded me, "What you will do." He told me, "Is bleed and die. Goodbye, Baron Laisren." He lowered the knife to my throat and my vision was filled with the steel blade. Fighting past the pain; I tried to reach the pouch once more, but my limbs were too weak. Tears stung my eyes, this was it… I had failed.

Then there was the sound of thunder.

* * *

I twisted my head around to see that an entire section of the wall, already weakened by the Bullhead; had been punched inward. Standing in the resulting hole, was Cola Malaika.

My heart surged with hope as I saw him there. His face was completely blank as his ice-blue eyes swept the room, finally alighting on Sange.

"You will unhand him immediately." He said calmly.

Sange gave a wild little laugh, "And if I don't?"

"Then the suffering of your death will be beyond imagination." Cola stated.

Sange hesitated, and then snarled, "Come and get me then!" The knife began to move.

But in the time that he had been distracted, I had finally managed to reach into the pouch, pulling out a flashbang that I set off right in his face, rolling away as I did so.

Sange opened his mouth, but I couldn't hear what came out, as the flashbang had effectively deafened me; my ears rang as he flung me aside staggering backwards as he blinked rapidly, trying to restore his vision.

Cola was on him in an instant and launched a trio of blows at Sange that traced a line from his stomach to his face. Sange's head rocked backward but he recovered quickly, leaping back to where his voulges were planted. He snatched them up, but was unable to bring them to bear before Cola was on him once more. This time, however he didn't bother with physical blows…

Basmune fired and I once more felt the slimy, foul presence as the bullet tore straight through Sange's chest, erupting out the other side in a spray of blood.

Sange looked down in disbelief and then let out a howl of fear and pain. Just as with the man at Serroi's fortress, his flesh began to liquify turning into a black slime that raced down his body. He let his weapons fall to the floor, trying to desperately scoop up the slime and hold it to his rapidly decaying body, as though somehow he could hold himself together through sheer effort. He fell to the ground, his legs buckling as the flesh and bone that supported them withered, decayed, and liquified as well.

Soon, all that remained of the man was a black puddle that bubbled and frothed on the tiled floor.

I stared for a moment in disbelief; just like that, Sange was gone. I felt numb as I then turned my gaze to Cola, about to thank him for his timely intervention. When I did turn my head to look at him though, the words died in my mouth.

Cola had fallen to his knees, his eyes staring intently at the puddle that had been Sange, his mouth twisted in a savage smile. However, that wasn't what had horrified me. Like they had at Serroi's base, the tentacles had erupted from the gun.

This time however, Cola wasn't stopping them. Several had already wrapped completely around his torso and more were wetly slapping at his shoulders. I watched in horror as three more limbs erupted from the gun to begin probing around the man's neck.

"Cola!" I turned my head to see Bayard running into the room, "Stop it! You have to stop!"

Cola didn't respond, as he continued to stare straight ahead; his eye closest to the tentacles began to change color, from icy blue to a golden yellow. The foul presence became cloying, almost drowning me, and I could feel an aching in my mind as alien images began to flash through it. Cities burning, men and women screaming as they were ripped limb from limb, two figures facing across from one another, one made of blinding light, the other of the deepest darkness. Somewhere I heard the sound of rolling dice and shattering glass.

"Cola," Bayard insisted, "I don't know what he's promising you, but you can't listen to him. If you lose control now you'll kill myself and Rowan. You have to fight him."

Cola flinched and seemed to gather himself; he began whispering to himself, and I could feel the thrum of his Semblance. The tentacles began to writhe around, releasing their grip from Cola's flesh. The monstrous limbs slowly began to wither and withdraw, retreating back into the gun. Finally, the last of the tentacles disappeared into the weapon, and the foul presence disappeared with it.

Cola let out a huge sigh and rose to his feet, he took a pair of deep, calming breaths, then nodded to Bayard and the older man turned back to the hole, "Clear!"

Dawn raced in, and then ran to my side. I felt her place her hands on my back and I bit back a cry of pain as I felt my bones burn as they began reknit themselves.

"Cola," I croaked, "Neo is here… the rooms."

He instantly understood and walked over to one of the steel doors. He laid a pair of massive hands on it and then wrenched it open. When I saw what was behind it, I gagged in horror and revulsion.

The room was bare, with a tiled floor much like the one I was currently laying on. Save for a chain that hung from the ceiling.

The entire room was stained with dried blood.

Cola pivoted away from the room and moved with purpose, practically ripping the next door off its hinges.

Neo was there, wrapped up in the chains to hang suspended from the ceiling. Blood covered her chest in sheets from her throat; her skin deathly pale. "Dawn!" Cola snapped.

The woman shot to her feet and rushed to his side, placing her hands upon Neo's head.

Then she stiffened and let them fall away.

A roaring filled my ears as she turned, her face told me everything I needed to know.

No, Neo couldn't be...

"She's gone." Dawn said softly.

And my whole world turned to ashes.


	48. Chapter 48

**Thanks to TehGramerPolise for helping with this chapter.**

* * *

It just simply couldn't be true.

I laid there on my knees, everything inside me turning bleak and desolate. Like a wildfire had seared through my insides. Leaving me with nothing but ruins and ashes.

I was numbly aware as Bayard walked over to me and knelt down by my side on the cold, tiled floor.

"Rowan," He whispered, "Rowan, I'm so sorry."

Neo was there, Neo was right _there_ …

But she was gone, taken from the world… taken from _me_.

Tears came to my eyes, and my chest heaved as a sob wrenched itself from out of my body. There was a hole somewhere in my core that felt like it was taking bloody bites out of my soul.

It was a wound that I knew would never heal. Just fester and scar, leaving me forever marked.

For some reason that thought pricked at me, and made me think of Bayard.

A wound that would never heal...

I wrenched my gaze up to where Neo's body still hung from the ceiling, Cola was there, as though hesitating over something. Finally, he turned away, shaking his head.

"Bring her back."

The words snapped out of my mouth without ever registering past my brain. Beside me I felt Bayard stiffen.

Cola looked up at me, his expression composed, "Rowan…" He said gently, "I can do many things, but she's beyond any help we can give her now."

"Bullshit." I spat as I struggled to my knees, "Stop playing dumb with me… I know about the Monochrome."

Cola's eyes went wide and his face paled, "Dawn," He snapped, "Leave us, secure the Bullheads."

The woman's gaze snapped back and forth between the two of us, but she bowed and walked out of the building through the hole towards the airships.

"So," Cola said when she had left, "Just what is it that you know about the Monochrome?"

"I know that you brought back Bayard from the dead with it." I replied.

He nodded slowly, "I see… and now you want me to use that power on Neopolitan?"

"Stop playing games with me!" I snapped at him, "What else would I be asking for?"

Cola let out a long, slow breath, "You have no idea." He told me, "No idea of the price that it demands for such a thing."

"I know enough, that you paid it." I answered, "You paid it for Bayard."

"Yes, and that killed your mother." Bayard suddenly said from beside me.

I blinked and then turned to see Bayard's head was bowed, "What do you mean?" I asked him.

"You don't know that." Cola said gently.

Bayard shook his head, "Cola, don't you dare; it's my burden and I refuse to allow you to lighten it for me with white lies." He turned to me, "You see Rowan… when the Monochrome heals you it doesn't fix everything." He reached down and unbuttoned the armored jacket he was wearing.

With a grunt he pulled off his shirt and I stared in shock.

Dr. Gosha had said that the healing had left scars, but that hadn't adequately communicated the true extent of the damage..

Webs of scarred tissue criss-crossed his torso; two holes the size of fists were carved into his left side. More shocking however, were the two small machines that were filling those holes, both pumping rhythmically.

"It healed me alright," Bayard said wryly, "Just didn't quite get one lung and about a quarter of the other one." He set the shirt down as he grimaced, "These implants allow me to breathe normally, but under high strain they can become overloaded."

My mind flashed back to the Arachne fight, and how he had collapsed without warning, "I don't understand… what does this have to do with my mother?"

"It has nothing to do with-" Cola began.

"By the Maidens, Cola shut up." Bayard said wearily, his eyes closed as if from exhaustion. He opened them and looked at me, "The night that your mother was attacked the implants not only malfunctioned, they did so spectacularly." He told me, "The air in them backflowed, literally sucking my lungs out of my chest. I had to undergo massive surgery merely to survive. Cola brought me to a bunker for safety, we were afraid that my implants had been sabotaged. We went radio silent to make sure that no one could track us, but while I was under…"

"Serroi attacked." I breathed.

Bayard nodded grimly, "He did, and we weren't able to arrive in time to help her or your father… we only arrived in time to clean up the mess." He bowed his head, "If I wasn't alive… then there's a very real possibility that wouldn't have been the case." He said, his voice full of grief.

I took that in, staring at Bayard, what he had just told me was chilling. The Monochrome's price wasn't as simple as forking over something valuable, it was too ancient… too cunning for something so trivial. Its terrible price could be exacted years from when the deal was made.

But…

"I couldn't give less of a shit." I told them, and I turned back to Cola, "I don't care if all of Solitas burns. I can't live in a world without her… bring… her… back."

Cola's face flushed with anger, "No." He snapped, "I refuse to allow you to risk destroying yourself, to ruin the future that I have fought and bled to make for you."

Rage made my chest constrict and I shook as I took a step forward, "So you refuse to allow me to upset your plans; is that it?" I demanded, "I'm the golden boy who's supposed to lead the Council you're going to make so that you can feel like you can leave your mark on history? Even if it means leaving Neo to die? Is she not necessary?"

"This is the price of power." Cola snarled back, "Did you think it was going to be easy? Just fun and games? That you two were invincible?" He pointed a finger at Neo, "You failed. It happens, people you care about, that you _love_ will die. Your job is to make sure that it never happens again."

I stood there, quivering with fury, glaring at Cola as he stared levelly back at me. Bayard took an uncertain step forward and laid his hand on my shoulder, "Rowan… I-"

I whirled around and lashed out, slamming my fist into Bayard head. He let out a grunt of shock and pain. Before he could recover I stepped forward and snatched his gun out of his holster and kicked in at his shin. He fell heavily to the ground and I turned, leveling the gun squarely at Cola's head.

He blinked slowly and then snorted, "Is this your plan? Really?" He smiled coldly and extended his arms, as though inviting me to take the shot, "Allow me to explain to you how this will end. You will fire once… maybe even twice before I can close the distance. Even if you hit me with both, my Aura shell will simply absorb them. Your own shell is already gone… otherwise you wouldn't have been injured like how we found you."

His hands closed into fists, clenching so hard that his knuckles went pale, "All it will take is one little tap, and I will simply knock you out." He spat, "And lock you up until this childish little outburst is past. So go ahead…" He lifted his chin, "Let's get started."

I knew he was right, and my thoughts drifted to Bayard, before discarding it. I could maybe get a single shot on him, but before I had caught the older man off guard. His Aura shell would be fully up now, simply out of instinct. With how fast Cola was, I may not be able to turn before he was on me.

No, there was only one person that was vulnerable to the gun I held in my hand, and that Cola would value enough that I could use them as a hostage.

I twisted the gun around and put the cold metal to the side of my temple.

Time itself seemed to freeze, the only sound being Bayard's wheezing.

"No." Cola breathed.

"Oh yes." I told him, "Like you said… my Aura shell is gone. If I pull the trigger now, the bullet is going to rip right through my brain." I shrugged, "Of course, you could use the Monochrome to bring me back, but if what you say is true about the healing; then more likely than not I'll be brain damaged. How much of me do you think is gonna be left?"

Cola's face had turned ashen; his eyes flicked from the gun and back to my face, and I knew he was calculating the distance, seeing if somehow he could stop me before I could pull the trigger.

Even he wasn't that fast, for perhaps one of the few times in his life… Cola was powerless.

"Rowan," He finally said, and I felt something wrench inside me as I heard the pleading in his voice. "Don't do this, you have no idea of the price I had to pay; nor the destruction and death that paying it has caused. What Bayard told you wasn't even the half of it. Please."

It took everything I had to keep the gun steady, and my face determined as I very calmly shook my head.

Cola's face twisted up in emotion that I couldn't read, finally his shoulders slumped and he lowered his head, "Fine." He spat, he reached down and grabbed something off the ground. "Here." He threw something, but I kept my gaze firmly locked on him, waiting for some kind of trick. But something seemed to have gone out of the large, ebony man; and he didn't even look up as the small object fell to the ground at my feet.

I cautiously knelt down, keeping the gun to my head with one hand while I groped with the other until my hand closed around a cool, metallic object. I stood back up and glanced down to see a shell casing.

My mind flashed back to Dr. Gosha's office, '"Then Cola did the damndest thing,"' She had told us, "'He picked something off the ground, I think it was a casing from one of the rounds he shot from the weapon. Whatever it was, he ate it, swallowed it right up."'

I took a deep breath, opened up my mouth and threw it in.

I gagged as I felt something dark and twisted envelope my being and I blacked out.

* * *

I woke a second later to find myself suspended weightlessly in an abyssal darkness. I turned my head, but couldn't see anything in the pitch blackness that surrounded me.

However, somehow I knew I wasn't alone. A kind of pressure, a sense of _otherness_ surrounded me. Like some kind of massive undersea predator, it circled me examining me, evaluating me.

"A mortal come to visit me?" A voice oozed from the darkness, and I could feel as something foul slowly flowed around me. "It has been a while. Tell me mortal: who are you? Why are you here?"

"I am Baron Rowan Laisren," I said keeping my voice steady and calm with an effort of will, "I am here because you can bring people back from the dead."

The voice chuckled, "A Baron eh?" A flurry of colors swirled in front of me, fusing and solidifying into a large wooden door with a golden doorknob, "Open up that there door… Baron Laisren."

I gathered my courage, reached out with a hand and twisted the door knob.

It opened to reveal a small room; in the center was a desk, and behind it was a series of shelves that seemed to contain a plethora of knick-knacks and trinkets. Ranging from several snow globes to a long, twisting knife, and a golden coin with a skull and crossbones embossed on its surface.

Sitting behind the desk was a tall, thin man with olive skin, his pearly white teeth parted in a wide, toothy smile. His eyes were covered with a pair of wide sunglasses that obscured the orbs beneath completely and he wore a long, dark leather coat.

"Come in, come in." He purred.

I stepped forward and the door slowly closed behind me before disappearing completely, leaving nothing but a solid wooden wall.

"So," I said in the silence that followed, "You're the Monochrome?"

The man's face twisted in an expression of distaste, "Yes, but that's a title, given to me by you mortals." He tapped his chin with a long, crooked finger and then he smiled, "You may call me 'The Baron'; that is close enough and more importantly- fitting for this occasion."

"How so?" I asked him.

He spread his arms wide, "Why, one can only negotiate among equals and we are both Barons." He leaned forward, "So, you want to be bringing someone back from the dead?"

My throat constricted, and I nodded, not trusting myself to speak as a desperate hope welled up inside of me.

"That's a mighty powerful service." He said, "Snatching somebody from the jaws of death." He paused, "However, it is a service that I can provide, but…" He held up a fist, "There must be a couple of conditions you got to understand before we can start talking price."

"One." He held up a finger, "I only bring one person back per mortal." He lifted another finger, "Two: I only bring back each person once. If they die again, I won't be bringing them back." He lifted up a third finger, "I cannot bring back just anyone, it has to be someone close to your soul. You can either love the person or hate the person it doesn't matter to me; but you can't be bringing back just anyone."

"I understand." I answered back quickly.

He lifted an eyebrow and then chuckled, "Alright then, so let's be talking price." He beckoned me closer, "Come here."

I lifted my feet, which suddenly felt like they were wrapped with iron shackles as I walked my way towards the Baron until I had stood right before the desk.

"Lean on in now, let me see your eyes."

Some primal instinct screamed at me to run, to get away from this man and this place. That I was a fly blundering straight into a spider's web. But I simply thought of Neo's cooling body and shoved it away, obeying his command, I leaned down to look straight at the Baron's sunglasses.

He reached up and lifted them away, revealing a sight that has forever etched itself into my mind.

Behind the man's sunglasses were no eyes, instead, he had black pits that seemed to sink into an abyss as black as the one in which I had found myself in when I had first arrived. It seemed to grab me, drawing me in until I was falling down and down. I drowned in that darkness, I'm pretty sure at some point I screamed.

After what seemed like an eternity, I blinked to find myself still standing in front of the desk, the Baron looking away as he adjusted his sunglasses back over his eyes with one, skeletal hand as with the other he held a small ball of light. He turned to the wall and placed the ball on top of one of the snowglobes. It flashed once with a blinding light, and then slowly mellowed down into a soft glow that obscured anything that was within.

The Baron leaned forward, gazing deeply into it and took a slow, deep breath.

"Oh." He breathed, "Oh this will do nicely."

He picked up the snowglobe and turned around, "This is my price, Baron Rowan Lasiren." He extended it towards me and I frowned as I saw images flash across its surface, all moving too fast for me to understand. "Take this and destroy it." He told me, "Do that and we got a deal."

I took the snowglobe from him and was surprised to feel it was pleasantly warm, I lifted it up and I was able to discern some of the images on its surface.

I saw myself standing before a cheering crowd, lifting my arms high in the air in victory. I saw myself standing with a man with gray hair and a cane, another figure stood behind us… was that Winter Schnee? It wiped away, replaced by a woman with long dark hair and yellow eyes standing in front of me, a bow in her hand. That too was wiped away, replaced with me in a room with Cola as we studied a map of… Vale?

Finally, I began to understand, this was my future… the future that lay ahead of me. I saw more things, battles yet to come, allies that I had yet to meet, and enemies I had yet to face.

For the first time, seeing it all flow before my eyes. I hesitated.

Despite the fact that he appeared mostly human, I knew full well that the Baron was a being of pure malice. The Monochrome wished for suffering, for death, just like all Grimm. The key difference is that it had the intelligence to make much more far reaching plans than its kin. What better way to destroy us then, than to have humans and Faunus sign the contracts of their own demise? After all, you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.

Knowing all of this, could I really throw away a future that such a creature obviously wanted to destroy? Could I really throw everything at the feet of this… monster?

Then I saw a final image.

I saw myself standing in the same cemetery where we had buried Keara. I was standing in front of a tombstone.

It read: Neopolitan Gialatta.

I lifted up my arm and threw the globe to the ground, where it shattered into a million pieces.

I looked back up to see the Baron looking down on the shards of glass his face twisted into a maniacal smile.

He looked up at me and I felt a chill run down my spine as I saw a red light erupt from beneath the sunglasses, "Your wish." He told me, "Has been granted." He erupted into a wild laughter and I felt something grab me from around my stomach, pulling me away into darkness. As I faded out, I heard the sound of rolling dice.


	49. Chapter 49

**Thanks to TehGramerPolise for helping with this chapter.**

* * *

Reality snapped back into place with jarring speed; one moment I was in darkness, the next my eyes were open, staring at a white ceiling. I sat up quickly, taking in my surroundings. I was in a cushioned chair in what appeared to be a small lobby. The smell of disinfectant wafted through the air, and the faint _thrum_ of machinery conveyed that I was likely in a medical facility.

"Ah, Baron Laisren." I turned to see a woman in a nurse's uniform, "It is good to see that you're finally awake."

"Where am I?" I asked her, "Is Neopolitan Gialatta here?"

The nurse nodded, "This is the Cloud Military Medical Facility. Councilman Malaika brought Mistress Gialatta and yourself. Your own injuries were minor, but Mistress Gialatta's own were far more extensive."

I felt my jaw tighten, my stomach spasming as I felt a mixture of relief… and dread, "How extensive?" I demanded.

She held up a hand, "One moment please, Doctor Treant will want to brief you himself."

I swallowed nervously, and nodded. She walked through a small door in the wall and it closed shut behind her.

The time seemed to stretch on interminably, even though it must have been only a few minutes before a short, bulky man stepped into the room.

"Baron Laisren." He bowed his head, "I am Doctor Treant."

"How bad?" I snapped.

He pursed his lips, "She's stable. However, quite a bit of the damage will be permanent."

"Like what?" I asked.

He shifted uncomfortably, "The incision at the throat was quite deep." He said mechanically, "We were able to repair the artery, as well as reconstruct the windpipe. We then were able to perform a flesh graft to prevent scarring. She'll be able to breathe normally, but the vocal cords were unsalvageable. It is more likely than not that she'll never be able to speak again. We have therefore installed an artificial voice box to allow her to communicate.

I could feel myself drift into a lightheaded daze as I heard that.

Never speak again? Just mere hours ago she had been singing to the applause of a crowd… now she wouldn't even be able to speak without some box in her neck? I would never hear her voice again?

The doctor paused, "What else?" I asked softly.

"The blood loss was severe." He told me, "We know that there was cell death in the brain; muc like a stroke. However we are not sure how much or just what areas were affected." He looked up, "That is what we know so far. To be honest, given just how critical her injuries were I'd say that her present recovery is a miracle.

My hands shook slightly, I could still feel the unnatural warmth of the globe before I had shattered it. I laughed bitterly, "Yes, a miracle." I muttered. I stood up, "Can I see her?" I asked him.

He nodded, "That would be fine, at this point we're just waiting for her to regain consciousness."

I followed him through the door and down a small hallway. Finally, we came to a simple, wooden door and he opened it.

Neo was there, lying down on a bed, machinery hummed and beeped around her in a steady pulse.

Doctor Treant indicated a chair by the bed and then bowed slightly as he left, closing the door behind him; I think he said something about calling if we needed anything, but I didn't hear him.

I walked over and slumped into the chair. A river of twisting emotions was washing through me, but mostly I just felt calm relief as I watched her chest slowly rise and fall as she breathed softly.

I knew at that moment that I really didn't care, no matter what the price I had paid would mean for the future. Neo was here _now_ and I would never lose her again.

That was all that mattered.

* * *

A few hours had passed when there was a knock on the door, "Come in." I said, without turning my gaze.

The door opened and out of my peripheral vision I could tell it wasn't the doctor or the nurse.

"Do you mind?" Bayard asked me.

I shook my head and he sait in the seat next to mine, groaning slightly as he did so. I glanced at him to see a large bruise covered the right side of his face from where I had struck him.

"She's beautiful." The older man said softly.

I couldn't speak past the lump in my throat, instead I nodded.

He sighed, "Both of you grew up so much." He commented, "Everyday was like a privilege, watching you two learn and grow."

"It seems Cola didn't feel that way about Neo." I replied bitterly.

"You know that's not true Rowan." He said softly.

I set my jaw and said nothing.

The older man let out a long, slow breath, "Rowan, you have to understand. Cola has suffered greatly from the price that _thing_ demanded from him. To the point where I know there are times he has regretted making the choice he did. Although he's never admitted as much."

"It wasn't his arm, was it?" I asked.

Bayard shook his head, "No, he told you most of the truth regarding that. It was back when we were first fighting the crime lords. We got ambushed, lots of grunts and some of their strongest Semblance users. All of them against just Cola, myself, Ciara, and a couple mercenaries."

He shook his head, "Honestly I thought it would be the end of us." He told me, "The mercenaries didn't last long… it's funny so much else is crystal clear, but I'll be damned if I can't remember a single one of their names or faces."

He sighed, "Never get old Rowan," He said his voice tired, "Anyway, mercenaries go down and we had maybe killed about a quarter of them. Then one of them got Ciara." He traced a line down his arm with his finger, "Her Aura gave out and one of them got her something nasty with a knife. That was when Cola used the gun."

He scratched his chin. "Cola has told me that the gun appears to feed on negative energy, making it more and more wild and agitated. When he used it during that ambush, it had been driven into such a state that he lost control of it." He grimaced, "He went into a frenzy, those damn tentacles covered his entire body. I bunkered up with Ciara in an abandoned shop as he just slaughtered all of them."

He turned his gaze to Neo, "When the fighting was over he tried to bring it back under control. But he couldn't, not completely. The tentacles had wrapped completely around his arm, and they burrowed into it, infusing themselves into the muscle. It gave it a foothold that he couldn't shove it out of. Back and forth it went, and finally, instead of allowing it to control him, he ripped the arm off himself."

My stomach twisted at that, "That loss of control… was that what was happening at the warehouse?" I asked him.

He nodded, "When he heard what had happened…" He shook his head slowly, "I've not seen him that angry in a long time." He said softly, "Not since the Festival of Lights attack."

I deliberately shoved the implications of that statement from my mind, just thinking about Cola made the rage that still smoldered in my core spark and flicker.

Bayard suddenly laughed and I turned to him, confused.

He was shaking his head as he looked at me, "Nothing, sorry... " He turned his gaze back to Neo resting on the bed, "It's just that I've seen that look so many times on a different face. Whenever your father got that look I knew there was no budging him."

He got up, "I'll leave you two alone now." He said softly, "Just please, forgive Cola for what he must do."

Before I could ask him what he meant, he had left, closing the door gently behind him.

* * *

I woke with a start from the light doze I had fallen into at the sound of shifting cloth.

My gaze immediately snapped up to the bed to see Neo arm moving beneath the covers, her face screwed up in an expression of concentration and effort.

I felt my breath catch in my throat as I snapped to my feet to stand directly beside the bed. A moment later, her mismatched eyes fluttered open. Her hands gripped the side of the bed and she tried to sit up.

I placed a restraining hand on her shoulder, "Don't try to get up." I told her, "You're safe, but I'm pretty sure that there are about twenty different tubes sticking into you."

"Rowan?" She asked, her voice metallic and robotic, "What happened? The last thing I remember was the party and…" She froze, one of her hands crept to her throat, "What is that? Is that my-" Her fingers rested on the hard outline of the voicebox.

Her eyes went wide and she began to scream.

The next minutes were a blur of activity. She immediately tried to get out of the bed and the machines began to screech. I tried to hold her down to some success as her hands shot to her throat, her nails scratching and clawing; leaving trails of blood. The whole time she never stopped the horrible, metallic screaming.

At some point the nurse from before and Doctor Treant erupted into the room. The nurse helped me hold her down while Doctor Treant took out a syringe and drove it into Neo's arm. He pushed down on the plunger, injecting a clear liquid.

A few moments, later, Neo's struggling became weaker and weaker, until finally her eyes rolled back and she slumped back down into the bed. By then, a few more men and women in uniforms had arrived and immediately set to correcting the machines.

I stood there, breathing hard, it felt like something was burning in my chest. Finally, Doctor Treant put his hand on my shoulder, jolting me back to the moment and I turned to see him with a look of concern on his face. I turned away, I told myself that the tears on my face were from exhaustion.

"Take it out." I told him.

"Baron Laisren?" The doctor asked.

"The voice box." I said, "Take it out."

"Baron Laisren," He sputtered, "In her current state… such an invasive surgery might-"

The next thing I knew Doctor Treant was up against the wall, pinned by the throat by one hand as the other jammed Melodic Cudgel under his chin.

"I said _take it out!"_ I roared.

Doctor Treant held up his hands in a placating gesture and he nodded, his eyes bugging out of his skull.

I withdrew from the man, letting him crumple to the floor, wheezing.

The other medical staff were frozen in shock, none daring to move, as though the slightest movement might make them a target.

In my current state, I wasn't certain that they would be wrong.

I pivoted on my heel and walked out the door, slamming it shut behind me. I walked down the hallway and back to the lobby, collapsing into a chair.

I was still shaking as I ran a hand through my hair, how did it all go so wrong so quickly?

"And a shocking speech by Councilman Malaika today on the steps of AEC headquarters." I looked up to see that the television on the wall had been turned on, a news anchor in a blue suit was on the screen, "It might very well be one of the turning points of history, here's what it sounded like."

The screen changed to show Cola standing before a crowd. His suit immaculate and his face composed into a calm anger.

"I'm afraid the rumors are true." He told them, "Sange Rouge without provocation kidnapped and grievously injured Neopolitan Gialatta. A rescue operation was mounted and he was killed in the resulting fighting. Neopolitan remains in critical condition." He lowered his gaze briefly before lifting it once more to the crowd, his eyes blazing with anger. "It is why I come to speak with you today." He said, "Sange Rouge was a monster… with a long history of crimes that had plenty of evidence to convict him… just a lack of will from the High Nobility to do so." He shrugged, "After all, why would they? As soon as one is prosecuted, all of the others would fall under scrutiny, make no mistake; Sange Rouge was simply the most blatant… how many other murderers hide beneath their wings? How many rapists? Extortionists?"

He shook his head slowly, "And just imagine." He said, "Sange Rouge was in line to become a High Nobility Elector! One of the highest offices in all of Solitas!" He slammed a fist on the podium, "I say no more! The High Nobility have failed in their sacred charge! I hereby move to abolish the High Nobility Electorship! We shall be ruled for the people, by the people!"

The crowd cheered as Cola surveyed them, the epitome of a man in the greatest triumph.

The television exploded into pieces, and I lowered Melodic Cudgel. It must have been what Bayard had been talking about. It was true that there would be no better time to strike; that Cola's best chance at overthrowing the High Nobility for good had just been served on a silver platter. All it had cost was just one person.

All it had cost was Neo.

I lowered my head into my hands, hoping that I would wake up and the nightmare would end.

Unfortunately, I've never been that lucky.


	50. Chapter 50

**Thanks to TehGramerPolise for helping with this chapter.**

* * *

The medical facility was located in a small outpost a little ways outside of Mantle; I rented a room in a small inn that was there. However I rarely ever so much as step foot inside it, instead choosing to stay by Neo's side.

She went in and out of consciousness, slowly gaining strength over time. Doctor Treant had been correct in that regard; the second surgery so soon after the first had severely sapped her strength.

Each time she did wake up, I walked on eggshells, dreading that I would set off another episode. However, no such event ever occurred, much to my relief, and Neo never made a point of it. The first several times she woke up, I would offer her some water and light food that the nurses provided. She would eat and drink with ravenous intensity before falling right back asleep.

* * *

After a couple of weeks however, she was able to stay awake for longer periods of time. The first time she did so, she had stared down with wide eyes at her hands, her breathing growing fast and panicked.

"Neo." I had called softly, and when there was no response I put a hand carefully on her shoulder.

She had stiffened and turned towards me, but as her mismatched eyes fell upon me, all of the tension vanished. She had given me a small smile and placed her hand upon mine, giving it a small squeeze. The action had then seemed to take something out of her and moments later she had fallen back into the bed, fast asleep.

It wasn't too long after that that she was discharged. Doctor Treant had given the news while giving me pointed looks; the bruises still faintly visible from when I had threatened him. I made sure to include a generous amount of lien along with the usual payment.

Lusban picked us up in a Bullhead; bringing us back to the Laisren Estate. Neo was more or less awake for the most of it. She sat in her seat, her eyes glued to the window as she watched the clouds and snow covered ground pass by. It was only when we arrived at the city outskirts that she finally seemed to lose interest, falling into a doze.

I frowned as we arrived at the mansion and circled in for landing. I had been dreading seeing a mob at the gates as journalists of every stripe demanded to be let in; instead, the scene was quiet, peaceful even.

I didn't question the strange miracle as I led Neo towards the mansion. As we approached, the doors burst open and what seemed like a torrent of people came out to greet us.

Belatedly, I realized that it was my household servants. They surrounded us, and before I knew it, we had been swept inside.

I had always somewhat suspected that the servants adored Neo. While they always treated me with the utmost respect (I wouldn't have accepted anything less.) There was always kind of a relaxed and jovial atmosphere around them whenever Neo was around that simply wasn't present for me.

Now I had it confirmed as they absolutely doted on her, doing everything in their power to attend to every single need and want. It felt like we were being attended by a swarm, with individual members coming and going to perform different tasks. Long gone were the days were they whispered about her eyes and bad luck and even in the bleak mood that had fallen upon me, it warmed my heart to see them care for her with such obvious sincerity. They had already set up a bedroom, meticulously cleaned, with a vase of fresh flowers on a nightstand.

Finally, as quickly as they had appeared, they vanished, leaving us alone in the bedroom with a silver bell to call them back if need be. I sank down into the large chair they had left for me to sit by her side, feeling slightly overwhelmed. Neo had maintained the same, blank expression throughout the whole experience; she barely glanced at the men and women who had surrounded her and as soon as she was in the bed, she fell asleep again. Leaving me alone with my thoughts.

There was a polite knock at the door and it opened to reveal Lusban, "Baron Laisren," He said quietly, he held out a scroll, "For you."

I accepted with a nod, and the man bowed before leaving the room, shutting the door quietly behind him.

I turned on the scroll and my eyes widened to see the sheer amount of messages that had been left. I opened it and skimmed through them.

Predictably all of them were variations of condolences, apologies, offers to help. So many from so many people that my eyes swam as I mindlessly scrolled through them in an endless stream. I knew that I should reply to them, to use it as an opportunity; however, even the thought of it filled me with an indescribable weariness. With a weary hand, I simply deleted them all before putting the scroll next to me.

After all, they had all been right there at the auction, and none of them had helped me. My mind cast back to that day, so long ago where Cola and I had talked of strength. About how I had stated that strength was the ability to protect those closest to me.

How weak then was the strength that all my politicking, all of my scheming given me? That I hadn't been able to protect the person closest to me?

* * *

Neo's strength continued to return, however she did not leave the bed, instead simply sitting up and staying there. Sometimes she would stare at her hands, other times the wall or the ceiling. The only times she would react would be when I was there, and even then she would simply sit there by my side; eating whatever I gave her with the same intensity as though she was starving.

I had hesitantly tried to draw her into conversation; at first she had tried, but would eventually grow frustrated as she failed to adequately communicate. I had given her a scroll to write and type on, but she seemed to find it clumsy and eventually just gave up. Eventually she fell into a dark mood and would simply turn away whenever I tried, obviously frustrated.

Several days later, I was walking towards Neo's room with a slight spring in my step, carrying a book on sign language that I hoped could help her communicate and begin to draw her out of her malaise. However, as I got closer I smelled something that made bile rise into my throat.

The smell of blood… a _lot_ of it.

I fell into a sprint, dashing down the hall and slamming the door to Neo's room open.

On the carpet at the base of the bed was one of the servants, an older man whose name I couldn't remember. Fall on the ground next to him was a tray of various sweets, several of which I knew were Neo's favorite.

His belly had been split open, his guts spilling out in a gory mess. His eyes were wide, sightlessly staring at the ceiling. His mouth open in a small 'o' of surprise.

Crouching over him was Neo, a shard of sharp ceramic shard rising and falling rhythmically to stab the man's corpse over and over; oblivious to my presence. To the side I could the shattered remains of the vase, the flowers scattered everywhere.

"Neo." I said, my voice coming out in a whisper.

She cocked her head to look at me and her eyes opened wide as she saw me standing in the doorway.

"What in the world?" I breathed, "Have you done?"

She recoiled slightly at the words her eyes uncertain and fearful as I closed the door behind me my mind whirling. If I just called the Cleaners then someone would see them arriving, that is unless I was careful about it. I could send Lusban to pick them up at a rendezvous in a Bullhead. I nodded to myself and pulled out my scroll, "Lusban." I said as his face came up on the screen, "There's been an… incident, contact the Cleaners, I need them brought to the manor as discreetly as possible. Neutral location to here; is that understood?"

He nodded, "Yes sir." He hesitated, "Sir, I don't know how it took this long, but there are a mob of journalists at the gates demanding that you speak with them. Shall I let them in for a conference?"

A bitter fury rose up inside me, "No, tell those vultures they can go to hell!" I snapped and I hung up.

I crossed the room to a chair and practically fell into it, staring at the corpse, the smell finally hit me full on and I gagged, covering my mouth and nose.

Then I heard a small sniffle, I turned my gaze to see Neo hugging her knees, rocking back and forth. Tears were running down her cheeks as she choked out another small sob.

I felt a lump in my throat as I stood up, "Neo," I said gently.

She shook her head and buried her face into her arms and continued to cry.

I stood there for a moment, completely at a loss. Then I crossed the room to sit down by her side, she shifted slightly away and I bit my lip as I considered what to do.

"Yay ye bird," I sang softly, "Ye Firebird. How high above you fly."

Neo crying stopped and she looked up at me, her hair a wild mess and her face still wet from tears. I scooted closer and wrapped my arm gently around her.

"On wings of fire, you set my heart aflame. Firebird shine in the sky and set it all afire."

I continued to sing softly, Neo slowly relaxing in my arms, "...The Grimm will run, and the dark will be gone. Firebird come and bring your fire."

Neo slowly leaned up against me, her eyes closing as I reached the closing verses, "Firebird, ye Firebird, how high above you fly. When the nights are long and hope is gone, come and bring your fire."

I trailed off and Neo began breathing softly, her chest rising and falling, her face at calm as she fell into a peaceful sleep.

It was a peace that I mourned that I couldn't share, my thoughts on the corpse cooling on the floor behind us.

* * *

The nature of Neo's recovery changed drastically after that incident. While I was able to come up with a cover story about the servant's disappearance: citing sudden heart problems and family in Mistral; certainly my sudden announcements that servants were not allowed to see Neo without my presence had to have raised some eyebrows.

The end result was that I felt like I was under siege. Every time I left Neo's room I felt an itch on the back of my neck that I couldn't scratch. Every single person that I passed was a potential informant. The strain wore down on me, making the effort of keeping a composed front a daily burden.

The feeling got bad enough that I deliberately left the scroll Lusban had handed to me in my study on the other side of the mansion. As whenever it made so much as a single sound I could practically feel the outside world crushing inward on me.

The only place where the feeling abated was in Neo's room, every trace of the murder having been scrubbed clean. That being said, being with her had its own issues. Most notably was the wall that had come between us ever since the incident with the servant. It was a nebulous thing, but still stubbornly solid, making every attempt at conversation wither and die. I eventually just took to reading aloud from the Tale of the Four Knights- a desperate grab at a common thread that connected us. However, each time she merely turned away, unwilling to even so much as look in my direction. The only time we really ever interacted with each other was when I was giving her the medicine that Doctor Treant had prescribed. It was a strong smelling syrup that was meant to prevent any infections from occurring.

Thus it was on the final day that I almost dreaded the ending of the routine. Just as I had every day, I quickly retrieved it from my study. As I was getting the bottle out of the cabinet however, the scroll I had left on the desk suddenly rang, causing me to jump. I glowered at the device as I measured out the medicine into a small cup. The device finally fell silent as I put the bottle back, and I looked over to see who had called.

I frowned slightly to see that a message had been left, and felt a spark of curiosity as I saw that it was Camille's number. However shrugged it off as I closed the cabinet door and left the study, embracing the increasingly familiar indifference that settled around my shoulders.

I hastily made my way back to Neo's room, dreading as always that I would run into any of the servants. I breathed a sigh of relief as I arrived without any such meeting and knocked on the door and entered, "Alright Neo, time for you medicine." I began to announce, much as I had always done.

However the words died in my throat as I saw that Neo's bed was empty.

My heart began to beat faster in a panic, had Neo escaped? If so, where had she gone? I would have to evacuate the servants… maybe claim a malfunction in the power array? Anything to avoid another incident.

Even as my mind raced however, something made me pause. I blinked and then followed some instinct that made me look under the bed.

Neo's mismatched eyes glared out from under it, her face creased into a fierce scowl that I would have found comical if my heart still hadn't been beating so quickly.

"Neo?" I called, and knelt down, causing her to scoot backward. I felt relief wash over me as that movement confirmed that it wasn't an illusion from her Semblance, "What are you doing down there?"

Her eyes went pointedly to the small cup of medicine in my hand.

I lifted an eyebrow, "Seriously? You know this is the last time you have to take it, right?"

She simply scooted back a little further in response.

"Neo, this is to make sure you keep getting better." I told her patiently, "There's no point in taking it all of the times before if you skip out on the last day, come out here."

She stuck out her tongue and shook her head.

I leaned back more than a little bewildered, she was acting like a little kid, then suddenly I grinned. If she was going to act like a little kid, I was going to solve this how I would with a little kid.

"Well then, I guess you won't be able to eat any of the ice cream I got to celebrate." I said loudly, "It'll be tough for me to eat it all by myself, but I guess I'll have to manage."

There was a poignant pause, and suddenly Neo appeared, sitting up in front of me. She was still scowling, but she had a hand held out.

I did my best not to gloat as I passed the cup into her hand, but couldn't manage to wipe the wide smile off of my face.

The next moment I was coughing and spluttering as I tried to wipe the sticky medicine off of my face. Neo having long since disappeared back under the bed.

"That's it." I growled, I stood up and grabbed Melodic Cudgel from where it was resting on the wall, I loaded in a round and then felt prone, and fired.

The web round shot cleanly under the bed, exploding over Neo as she lay on the ground. She struggled for a moment, her eyes full of anger as she strained against the bonds. The next moment the after image under the bed shattered. I was already on my knees and aiming by the time she had teleported on top of the bed and I fired again.

The web round slammed against her chest and knocked her down onto the bed, sticking her to the covers. Before I could reload she had teleported in front of me, lunging forward and knocking me flat on my back. We began struggling there for a moment, turning this way and that as she tried to yank Melodic Cudgel out of my hands.

I don't know when I started, but suddenly I found myself laughing. Neo froze as she heard the sound, her eyes full of confusion. Then slowly a smile spread over her own face and she shook her head ruefully.

I took that momentary distraction to throw her off and fire another web round, sticking her to the floor as I rolled away and back to my feet.

She blinked a couple of times in shock and then glared up at me. I saw her face screw up in concentration, and her form blurred a little, but she didn't teleport and I knew then that she had run out of Aura.

I grinned as her glare intensified, "1-0." I told her.

She rolled her eyes, but a wide smile came across her face. In that moment, I could feel the wall of tension that had been present for so long evaporate into nothingness and my heart soared with happiness.

I opened my mouth to say something when the door was blown off its hinges,slamming down onto the ground in a thunderous roar.


End file.
